


Sheep In Wolf's Clothing

by mymermaidstory



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Attempted Murder, Bisexual Oswald Cobblepot, F/M, Jealous Edward Nygma, Kidnapping, Mentions of Abortion, Mentions of Prostitution, Mentions of Rape, Murder, Oh My God So Much Smut, One sided Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma, One-Sided Attraction, Oswald really starts loving sex once he loses his V card, Oswald slowly learns about the female body, Porn With Plot, Possessive Oswald Cobblepot, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Sexual Tension, Smut, Stripper main character, Unplanned Pregnancy, Virgin Oswald Cobblepot, smut galore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-04-19 23:38:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14248290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymermaidstory/pseuds/mymermaidstory
Summary: When Oswald Cobblepot takes Ed and his buddies out to a strip club for Ed's birthday, he never imagined he'd meet the woman that would fix his broken heart. After all, having been "rejected" by Ed multiple times, he'd thought he'd never find love again. However, upon meeting the beautiful Sophia Lorenski, that opinion drastically changed.In addition to believing he'd never find love again, Oswald also believed he'd never be a father... Well that soon becomes another thing Sophia changes in his life.





	1. Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off

For Sophia Lorenski, life hadn't exactly played out the way she wanted. After her parents were murdered by both Maroni and Falcone's men, she was left practically homeless at age 16. Due to her beauty being the only thing left that her parents bestowed upon her, she was turning tricks on the street at age 18. However, after a rough time with an abusive pimp, she managed to get herself off the streets and into a decent apartment.

Still, being a stripper was only barely better than being a prostitute for the 24 year old. Sophia was making ends meat by selling her appearance to lustful men and women yet she still had hope that one day she might go to college. But for now, it seemed to her, being oggled by the horny creeps of Gotham was her lot in life.

The beautiful blonde worked at a small strip club that used to belong to the powerful Fish Mooney. Unfortunately, after Fish's untimely death, it was bought out by another powerful family in Gotham... A family who seemed to have even seedier clientele than Fish ever had. Sophia was paid quite well to ignore the horrific acts her customers committed. She forced herself to do complex math problems in her head whenever she was giving a particularly devious customer a lap dance. Sure their lifestyles bothered her and she certainly should've called the cops on many of them, but Sophia needed to keep her job. It was the only thing keeping her off the streets and out of the hands of her old pimp.

However one night, when Sophia was really working it on stage, she never expected she'd run into the man who basically OWNED those streets.

Wearing a sexy leather number and swinging around on the pole. Sophia had her eyes on the audience. The place was rather crowded, as usual for a Saturday night, until an odd looking man and his entourage walked into the club. Almost immediately, nearly half of the patrons ran out of the building in fear (or it might've been out of respect or intimidation but Sophia couldn't tell). Her eyes focused on the man in the dim pink light of the club as she attempted to make out who it was.

The limp, the bespoke suit, the sharp nose, the strange spiked hairstyle... A chill ran down Sophia's spine as she immediately recognized who it was.

Oswald Cobblepot. The infamous Penguin. The former mayor of Gotham and the man with Victor Zsaz and Mr. Freeze on his payroll. She could barely believe her eyes but there he was, sitting in a booth just a few feet from the stage.

She had been frozen for a moment once she realized his identity, but the moment she felt his powerful blue eyes upon her, she continued her erotic dance on stage. She felt the strong bass of the music pulsing through her veins, pushing her to make the dance even sexier than before. However, Sophia couldn't help but laugh to herself upon seeing him again. After all, since the place had been Fish Mooney's at one point, she had seen him a few times before while he was still Fish's umbrella boy... Before he became the powerhouse King of Gotham.

Sophia felt her heart begin to race as his eyes wouldn't leave her. He just kept staring intensely at her as if he was trying to decide whether or not to call her over. She kept dancing but decided to remove her bra, exposing her breasts for the remaining patrons in the club. However, she threw the garment in the Penguin's direction, trying to basically eye fuck him from the stage.

That was the moment Oswald made his choice.

* * *

 

He had come to Fish's old strip joint for a bit of fun, just wanting to relax for a while. After all, it was Edward's birthday and, despite their difficult past together, he still cared for him and he thought the man would enjoy a night out surrounded by beautiful women. He knew there was no reason to get jealous of a stripper the same way he had grown jealous of Isabella, so he wasn't worried about his former love getting caressed by another woman.

He and Ed sat together with a few other men and Oswald watched closely as his best friend began to admire the nude goddesses around them. Oswald smiled at the way Ed blushed and laughed at the beautiful women. However, the moment the music changed, Oswald's eyes were immediately drawn to the stage. There, swinging from the silver pole, was Aphrodite incarnate. A woman with long curly blonde hair and spellbinding green eyes that captured his own. He couldn't stop staring as the dancing siren hypnotized him with her movements. And then she removed her top and threw it at him. It was only when he heard Ed's chuckles that he was brought out of her spell.

"I think she likes you, Oswald." Ed commented, watching his friend slowly becoming enamored by the beauty on stage.

"Bring her to me." Oswald demanded to one of the waitresses who quickly called Sophia off stage and brought her to Oswald's side. Sophia smirked at him, leaning on the table and looking him up and down. He was so handsome and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd be good at oral sex given that beautiful nose of hise.

"Hello there handsome." Sophia purred, wanting to reach out and caress his hair.

"What's your name?" Oswald asked, feeling his heart beginning to race.

"Raven, call me Raven." Sophia lied with a smile. She couldn't give him her real name, especially not given who he was.

"Raven... How much would a private dance cost?" Ed spoke up, causing Oswald to blush. Sophia smirked and laughed, moving her attention to the tall man with glasses in an attempt to make the Penguin jealous.

"For you, skinny man, how about 100 bucks?" She mused, wrapping her arms around Ed's neck. The man the untangled himself from Sophia's arms, leaving her confused.

"I want your dance to be with my friend here, not with me." Ed clarified. Sophia then glanced over at Oswald who was now heavily blushing with wide eyes.

"For him... I'll do it for free." She smirked and Oswald's eyes seemingly got even wider. Ed let out a laugh before Sophia stood up and extended her hand to Oswald. The man shakily took her hand before walking with her to a private back room. She turned on the music and sat him down, her eyes not leaving his. She swayed her hips to the beat of the song, her hands caressing down his chest. She then crawled into his lap, her smile widening when she realized he was hard underneath her. His hands began to fidget and clench at his sides, as he had no idea what to do with them, but Sophia laughed and took her hands in his.

"Relax baby... just feel." Sophia murmured, moving his shaky hands to her breasts.

"I-I thought I wasn't allowed to touch..." Oswald stuttered and Sophia laughed again.

"Not unless I want you to." She then started grinding her hips, causing him to gasp and squeeze her breasts. Sophia leaned in and started pressing light kisses to his neck. Oswald let out a lustful growl in response, feeling his pants getting tighter with every roll of her beautiful hips. That was when he took control, grabbing her hips and really thrusting up against her hard.

"You really want me don't you?" He purred, feeling his cock throbbing even harder in his pants.

"I've always wanted to fuck the King of Gotham." She replied, causing him to look up at her in surprise, "Oh yes, I know who you are baby. You're Oswald Cobblepot, King of Gotham City, and the man who's going to fuck my brains out later on..." Normally, Sophia would never do this with any customer. She promised herself she would never sell herself for sex ever again. However, she wasn't selling herself, she was letting Oswald have this dance for free.

She then unfastened his pants and reached inside, grabbing his hard dick and squeezing. Oswald let out an obscene moan and started thrusting against her hand, his own hands gripping tighter on her hips.

"I've never had a woman want me like you want me. In fact, I've never had...  _anyone_ want me like this before..." Oswald said, his voice trembling with both arousal and a bit of sadness. Sophia leaned in and really started kissing his neck, letting out her own gentle moans. She kept squeezing and rubbing his cock while grinding down on him until he started picking up the pace of his thrusts.

"Oh FUCK!" Oswald cursed, suddenly feeling his balls tighten and his cum erupting into his boxers. The warmth flooded her hand and Sophia smiled, sighing happily into his shoulder. Both of them sat there silently for a few moments with the sounds of their breathing being the only noises in the silent room as the music had stopped by then.

"Well well, Mr. Penguin, I bet you've never had that happen before." She chuckled, wiping her cum sticky hand on the velvet chair behind him. Her free hand then stroked his face, her thumb tracing down his pointed nose. 


	2. This Is Gospel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, this chapter takes place directly after the end of the last chapter!!

The way he looked at her was as if he believed her to be an angel. And for Oswald, she basically was. For all his money and his big talk, Oswald Cobblepot was still a virgin. Despite having a rather sexual nature and had a frequent masturbatory habit, he had never had sex with anyone, male or female. He had wanted a sexual relationship with Ed, he did love him after all, but Ed would never love him back in the same way and Oswald had resigned himself to that fact and was attempting to move on by that point. And this woman, this perfect porcelain beauty, was helping him do that.

"Thank you Raven..." He breathed, still staring up at her in awe, "You know, we could use someone of your beauty and skill at the Iceburg Lounge. I'd love to hire you." He said and Sophia blinked in surprise. She never expected this man to offer her a job after she just jacked him off.

"Mr. Cobblepot, I believe as of right now, I'll have to refuse your offer. I've received many job offers after a dance like this before and I prefer not to network while my clients are still buzzing with sexual energy." Sophia explained and Oswald looked at her confused. Had he read her signs wrong? She must not've wanted to be closer to him. She was a stripper after all. She was a master manipulator, she made him believe that she wanted him.

Oswald was immediately embarrassed, shaking his head and pushing her off his lap. He cringed at the feeling of his wet pants but it was nothing compared to the shame and anger he felt towards himself for even THINKING she could've wanted him. He had fallen for that once before with Ed and his heart couldn't take it again.

"I'm sorry if I have offended you, Raven. Thank you for the dance." Oswald pulled out a 100 dollar bill and left it on the chair before leaving without another word. Sophia stood there in shock, confused as to what the hell had just happened. Her refusal had obviously made him think something she hadn't meant. He almost seemed heartbroken when he left the room and Sophia couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for making him feel that way. She forced herself to calm down though, collecting herself and returning to the floor. However, when she went back out, Oswald was nowhere to be found despite the rest of his group still remaining there. Luckily, she had met him near the end of her shift, so when she left the club after she clocked out, Sophia was happy to find his car outside. She knew it was his since not only was it the fanciest and most expensive car in the lot, but the license plate also read "PNGU1N". Swallowing her pride, Sophia walked over to the window and knocked. smiling at him when he rolled it down.

"Hello Mr. Penguin." She purred but Oswald just stared at her annoyed.

"What do you want, Raven?" He hissed and Sophia's smile faded a bit.

"I just... want to talk. Can I come in?" She asked. Oswald glanced up at her, originally not wanting to let her in the car, but the way her green eyes sparkled convinced him otherwise. He let out a groan before opening the door and letting her inside.

"What do you want?" He repeated and Sophia pulled the hundred dollar bill he gave her out of her pocket, handing it back to him.

"I told you, your dance was free... And... I wanted to do this." She murmured before quickly leaning in and kissing him. She claimed his lips with hers and kissed him hard, her hands fisted in his jacket. For a moment, Oswald sat there stunned and confused before he realized what was happening and kissed her back. He let out a soft moan and deepened the kiss, his heart pounding hard in his chest. Sophia then started pushing his jacket off and grabbing h is shoulders, hoisting herself into his lap. Her wandering hand traveled down his chest for a moment before completely unbuckling his pants and pulling out his semi hard cock.

"I want you, Mr. Penguin." Sophia purred, causing Oswald to wonder if he should really be doing this at that moment. However, her kisses and touches were drowning out any nagging feelings he had left in his head. He let the darker side of himself take over then, kissing her harder and practically ripping her top off. Sophia pulled his head closer to her chest, letting him suck on her breasts as her nimble hand really started working his cock, getting it fully hard and throbbing almost painfully. Because she had planned on doing this, she wore no underwear under her skirt, so Oswald's gasp of surprise to feel her dripping wetness touching his aching cock made her laugh.

"You... you really  _do_ want me." He whimpered, his voice shaky with nerves and lust. Sophia just nodded before nuzzling into his neck, lining him up with her hot core, and sinking down fully on top of him.

"Oh GOD!!" Oswald practically screamed, the feeling of her soaking wet warmth gripping him like a vice was almost too much for him to bare. He gripped her hips and forced her to still as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to cum immediately. Sophia then started kissing up his neck and jaw, nipping his pale skin every so often on her way up. The moment she rolled her hips with him inside her, Oswald swore he saw stars. He let out an almost pathetic sounding moan as he started pushing back into her, gritting his teeth as the pleasure was so intense. Sophia was pleasantly surprised at how well he filled her, the tip of his cock brushing her G-Spot with each thrust. She started crying out herself, throwing her head back and riding him even harder. Oswald's hands gripped tighter on her hips, growling through his teeth as he began pounding into her. He loved the intensely tight way her walls squeezed him, the rippling movement of her warmth rubbing up and down his pulsing dick driving him even more insane than he already was. He had never experienced sex with another person before, so to have this goddess riding him like a horse was beyond incredible.

When Sophia started nibbling on his earlobe, Oswald felt the hot coil in his abdomen tighten and he knew his end was approaching.

"Raven... Oh God Raven, I'm gonna cum!" He warned and she intentionally tightened her walls around him, wanting him to erupt inside of her.

"Call me Sophia. My real name is Sophia." She whimpered as she started playing with her clit, causing another gush of wetness to drown his cock.

"Oh Sophia!" Oswald cried out as his cock bulged and his orgasm ripped through him. He came hard, shooting pulse after pulse deep inside her. His orgasm triggered her own, her walls milking him for everything he had. When the both of them finally came down from their highs, the only thing they could do was stare at each other. Oswald had never once in his life felt wanted in this way by a woman. The way Sophia made love to him, helped him feel like a man, was nothing short of shocking. Unfortunately, the quiet nagging voice in the back of his head started to speak up again.

" _She only fucked you for your power and your money."_

_"It was a pity fuck."_

_"She could never love you."_

_"You're too ugly for a woman like her to care about you, let alone fuck you."_

_"You're just the wimpy pathetic penguin you've always been who can only get a woman to sleep with him by paying her."_

These inner thoughts began to torment him and Sophia could see the same look on his face now as the one he had earlier.

"Hey... Hey!" She said loudly, trying to get his attention. She took his head in her hands, forcing him to look at her. His crystal blue eyes were so beautiful and innocent despite the horrifying darkness that lied beneath. "Let me guess, you feel as if you didn't deserve that? You feel that a woman like me would never touch you if I wasn't getting paid to do so. Am I in the ballpark?" Oswald's blushing face and embarrassed expression said it all.

"I used to be a prostitute, you know. I used to sell myself for men to use and abuse because I had no money and nowhere else to go. I would NEVER have sex with a man unless he paid me first, that was always my own and my pimp's first rule. And even after I got off the streets, I would always steal something from my drunken one night stands because that's just what I thought they deserved. Never once have I slept with someone freely and purely because I wanted to with no payment required... Not until you, that is." Her story made Oswald's eyes go wide with surprise, "Out of every man I've ever slept with, you're the only one who's ever made an impact. I see hundreds of men and women on a daily basis and they all blur together, but you... I couldn't get you out of my head all night. I just had to see you one last time. You're special, Oswald Cobblepot, and you deserve to know that... Even if it's coming from a prostitute turned stripper." Sophia's words were completely honest. This was the first time in her entire career as a sex worker that she had done anything for free, let alone actually having sex with someone. Not only did she find him physically attractive, but she felt for him emotionally as well. Sophia remembered seeing him as Fish Mooney's umbrella boy when she first started working at the club. She remembered hearing his name in the back alleys of Gotham as someone to be feared and respected. Most importantly, Sophia believed that if a man like him, that was given the worst hand life could deal someone, could make a name for himself, well maybe she could do the same for herself.

"Just know that there's atleast one girl on your side in Gotham. I know what it's like to be a nobody." Sophia then pulled off him with a hiss, his thick cum leaking out of her and she wiped it up with her skirt. She exited the car, but not before blowing him a kiss, "Come back and see me sometime. My signature song is "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing" by Set It Off. Maybe you'll get to see that dance." And with that, Sophia walked off into the night, leaving Oswald in awe and completely sexually frustrated.


	3. New Perspective

The next day at work, Sophia as surprised when she didn't see Oswald. When he didn't show for the next three days either, she was worried she might have scared him off due to her actions from the other day. However, from wha she knew of The Penguin, he was very hard to scare. 

Sophia had just gotten off work about two weeks later when a slick expensive looking car pulled up in front of the club. It was similar to Oswald's car but not exactly. A large man then stepped out of the drivers seat, his expression making a chill run down her spine.

"Get in the car. The Penguin wishes to speak with you." The man said and Sophia swallowed dryly. After all this time, only now he wanted to see her? She hoped to God he wasn't mad or irritated with her. All she had done was show him a little compassion as well as taking his virginity. Just based on the way he reacted to her touches, Sophia had deduced he was a virgin and she wasn't bothered by it at all. Regardless, Sophia knew she'd be in even more trouble if she refused him, so she climbed into the car without a word. The man quickly took off with her in tow and Sophia started to get nervous.

"Is he angry with me?" She asked and the man let out a snort of laughter.

"Angry with you? Hell no Sweetheart, actually it's the complete opposite. He won't shut up about you. It's like you put him under a spell or something." The man explained. Sophia let out a noise of surprise before remaining silent for the rest of the ride. When the car finally pulled up in front of the Iceberg Lounge, the man escorted her inside and she was immediately impressed with the place. The atmosphere was irresistible and every square inch of the place just screamed with The Penguin's style. Sophia would've gladly marveled in its extravagance a little longer if the large man hadn't practically dragged her to a private back room. She then watched with awe as the man accessed a secret elevator behind a panel in the wall. Of course the Penguin would have his own private quarters in his own club and the thought of that made Sophia laugh. The two of them entered the elevator together and the air was instantly tense as she had no idea what to say to him. When the elevator doors opened, the man hauled her into the underground mansion and brought her into the dining room.

"Wait here." He said and Sophia obeyed, pulling her jacket a little tighter around herself as she sat in one of the ornate wooden chairs at the large table. It wasn't much longer before Oswald entered the room with a gentle smile on his face.

"Hello there." Oswald greeted her and Sophia stared at him curiously. He then cleared his throat and nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "I bet you're wondering why I invited you here."

"Yeah, that's certainly one of the things I'm wondering in addition to why you decided to build a mansion underneath your own club. Another thing I'm wondering is why exactly you didn't just come back to my club and meet me there?" She replied.

"Because being seen in a strip club more than once within a week would make me look like a horndog don't you think? I'm not like every other simpleton that goes there."

"Oh I know, that much is obvious." Sophia teased, "So the driver mentioned that you've basically been obsessed with me, huh? I mean, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about you as well." She explained with a smile. Oswald was clearly flustered, nearly sputtering as he tried to find the right thing to say.

"I... I uh.... I just wanted to see you again. I really want you to work for me at the Iceberg Lounge. I'll tripled the amount of money you make now, I promise. Just please, come work for me and get yourself out of that hell hole you call a job." He practically begged and Sophia was genuinely surprised. He really  _did_ want to see her. It didn't matter if he cared about her, the fact that he just wanted to see her made her smile on its own.

The real reason he wanted her to work for him was so no other men were allowed to touch her or oggle her again without him around. He felt a connection to her and not just because she had fucked him. He felt that deep down, there was more to her than she was letting on. Every time he looked in her eyes, he swore he could see this beautiful darkness, this powerful chaos that matched his own.

"I know that a face like yours could easily bring in more customers, especially if you were on the stage in addition to being behind the bar." Oswald said, moving closer to her. Sophia started processing his words and thinking hard. She definitely needed the money and would most certainly enjoy the new job, but the Iceberg Lounge was notorious for its criminal workings. Penguin had a huge stake in the Gotham underground through the Iceberg Lounge. Sophia had dealt with killers and mobsters before, however, she was only dealing with them in the sexual sense. She only ever interacted with the by providing them with a fantasy. By working at the Iceberg, she would be privy to some of the darkest inner workings of Gotham's underbelly. Did she really want that? She was barely safe enough as it was given her profession. A mobster betrayed by Penguin could easily shoot up the place and she'd be right in the line of fire.

But then again, if she could get on Oswald's good side, he would guarantee her protection.

"You really want me to work for you, don't you?" How about this... I'll work for you if you let me suck your dick?" She purred. Sophia had begun to form a plan in her head. It wasn't a fully fledged plan yet but it was decent enough for her. Her basic idea was to get close to him, make him like her, and essentially turn him into her sugar daddy. After all, growing up on the streets manipulating men was something she was very good at. Plus the sex wouldn't be too bad either.

The moment he heard her words, Oswald stared at her in shock. He stammered, his eyes scanning her face for some kind of lie, until he realized she was telling the truth. Upon this realization, he immediately nodded. Sophia then grabbed him by his collar and kissed him hard, letting out a moan into his mouth. She wanted him wrapped around her little finger and so far, it seemed to be working. Oswald happily kissed back, his heart racing as he had missed her touch. He was almost desperate for her, growling against her as his cock started throbbing in his pants Quickly, Oswald hauled her out of the chair and shoved her to her knees, his nervous fingers fumbling with his zipper. Sophia laughed and shook her head, running her hands up his thighs. 

"Baby relax... I'm here to make you feel good." She whispered, carefully getting his pants undone and slowly pulling his dick out. Oswald groaned as he was freed, his hardness curving up towards her and dripping precum from the purplish head. Sophia then started placing light kisses to the tip, making Oswald shiver before taking him fully into her mouth.

"Oh fuck!" Oswald exclaimed, his hands immediately fisting in her hair as he tried hard not to thrust into her wanting mouth. She sucked him hard, her touch working the sensitive spot just underneath the head while her free hand started massaging his balls. It didn't take long for the sensations to become too much and Oswald had to practically yank her off him.

"The only place I want to finish is inside you." He growled, getting forceful with her and pulling her to her feet. He then unceremoniously threw her onto the table and literally ripped her panties off from underneath her skirt.

"Hey!" Sophia complained and Oswald rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll buy you a new pair." He rucked up her skirt and lined himself up before slamming home inside her without much preamble. For a man who was still a virgin not three weeks prior, Oswald certainly knew what he wanted. Sophia felt herself clench around him as he began to really pound into her, letting out grunts of effort with each thrust since he was balanced on his bad leg to get the right angle. One of his hands grabbed her breast while the other took her wrists and pinned them to the table above her head.

"Oh God Oswald yes! Fuck yes!" Sophia moaned, feeling her orgasm beginning to build as the tip of his cock kept nailing her G-spot with every movement.

"You're mine, you understand me?! No one else gets to look at you or touch you the way I do ever again!" He snarled, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead as his end approached. The hand that was on her breast quickly moved to where they were joined as he furiously started rubbing her clit, "You're gonna cum for me! You're gonna explode on my cock right now!" Oswald demanded and Sophia arched her back as the pleasure kept building and building.

"Oh my God! Oswald, oh FUCK!!!" Sophia screamed as she orgasmed around him, her walls squeezing him even harder as he worked her through it. His own orgasm followed soon after as he couldn't handle the expression on her beautiful face mixed with the feeling around his dick. He growled out his orgasm, pushing in a deep as he possibly could before shooting pulse after pulse of hot cum directly against the entrance to her womb. He felt like his orgasm lasted for hours but he wasn't complaining. He loved every single second his skin was touching hers. Both of them struggled to catch their breath once it was all said and done. Oswald released her hands and stared at her with a huge smile on his freckled face.

"You're like a drug to me. What have you done to me, Sophia?" He asked in complete awe of the beautiful woman beneath him. Sophia reached up and stroked his face, her thumb brushing his lower lip.

"I've used my feminine stripper wiles on you." She teased, booping him on his pointy nose.

"So does this mean you'll accept my offer?" Oswald asked and Sophia chuckled, causing him to moan slightly since she unintentionally clenched around his sensitive cock.

"Of course it does, as long as I get to keep my clothes on." She smirked and kissed him gently. Oswald then slowly pulled out of her, a shiver running down her spine from the sensation of him leaving her warmth. He quickly fixed himself and ran a hand through his hair, giving her a wet washcloth so she could clean herself up.

"You know, for a man who only recently lost his virginity, you sure know what you're doing." Sophia commented and Oswald immediately blushed, glancing at the floor. She laughed then, putting a hand on his shoulder to reassure him, "You were actually very good. And this is coming from a former prostitute." She kissed him once more before starting towards the elevator. However, Oswald snagged her wrist before she could leave.

"Do you have a place to stay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I've got a small apartment a few blocks from here."

"How big is your apartment?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want to make sure your safe before you come into work tomorrow." Sophia tossed around the idea of staying overnight with him for a moment. At first, she thought the best idea was to get out of there as quickly as possible. But then again, her AC was broken and, since tips here low those days, her lights were being threatened to get cut off. One night in the Penguin's estate wouldn't kill her, plus the sex was a big incentive.

"I mean, do you have an extra room for me?" She asked meekly and she watched in amazement as his face lit up with what appeared to be joy.

"Yes! Yes of course I do. I'll have a room ready for you in a few moments. Feel free to look around while Gabe and I organize things." Oswald nodded, calling Gabe over from the other room and telling him exactly what to do while Sophia started wandering around. The place was even more extravagant than the club upstairs with hundreds of priceless items worth thousands or even millions of dollars placed all around. There were paintings adorning the walls and cameras in every corner of every room. The more she explored, the more fascinated in the Penguin and his life she became. The underground mansion reminded her a bit of how her parents did things before they were killed. They were working for both Maroni and Falcone and even then Sophia knew just how badly that would turn out. She remembered how her father loaded the guns being sent to Falcone while her mother counted the money going to Maroni. All her life was engulfed in the dark world of Gotham, so it was no surprised to her that she started to pursue the Penguin. And pursuing was all she was doing. She was after his money and nothing else... Or atleast that's what she told herself.

"Follow me, Miss Lorenski." Gabe said and Sophia blinked in confusion.

"How did you know my last name? I never told him that." She inquired.

"The Penguin has his ways." He replied and Sophia knew well enough not to press any further. She said nothing more and followed him down the hallway to the room he had prepared for her. Sophia was in genuine shock at the state of the room. It was just as glamorous as the rest of the house but with a soft edge for her in particular. Never in her life had she had a room this nice.

"If you need anything, just as for me. My name is Gabe." He nodded in her direction before closing the door behind him. Sophia stood there in silence before she burst out laughing. She was finally moving up in the world, despite her unorthodox way of getting there. After finally getting free from her old pimp's clutches, Sophia had been desperate to have more power than him one day. She wanted to be filthy rich and shove it in his face to prove to him that she wasn't worthless... that she could do something with her life.

Sophia flopped back onto the soft comforter, letting out a heavy sigh and smiling to herself. She knew that one day she'd find an actual respectable job to make a living. But for right then, mooching off the most powerful man in Gotham City was enough for her. Since it was nearing 3 am, she began to get ready for bed until she heard breathless and almost desperate sounding moans coming from the hallway. After throwing on the fuzzy bathrobe she found in her bathroom, she started following the moans. Sophia was not surprised at all to find Oswald on his bed completely naked and stroking his cock in ecstasy. Not once had she seen him fully naked until then. He was remarkably beautiful. He wasn't very muscular but he was toned enough that she could see the way his muscles tensed as he pleasured himself. His body was covered in freckles and scars with most of his freckles centered on his shoulders. He also appeared to have what looked like a green question mark tattooed on his ass and that made her snicker a bit to herself. She was only able to see inside his room as he had left the door cracked a bit and she was amazed by the way his beautiful face contorted in pleasure. Just seeing him getting off was enough to get her own motor running.

"Aww, you started without me?" She fake pouted, entering his room. He nearly jumped off the bed in surprise, absolutely flabbergasted that someone would walk into his room uninvited, let alone while he was naked and masturbating. He wanted to scream at her and send her out, but then again, she had caught him right before he crashed over the edge.

"Come over here...  **NOW."** Oswald growled lustfully and the tone of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. Untying the bathrobe and letting it fall to the floor, Sophia adored the way he watched her with an intensity she had never seen before. She slowly stalked towards him before crawling in the bed beside him. Luckily for them, she had closed his door before approaching him since the moans and groans the two of them released that night would probably have been heard all the way in the lounge above them. They made love for almost an hour as Sophia seemed to bring out the dark side of him sexually. Even though what he felt for her wasn't anywhere close to how he once felt about Edward, Oswald would've been lying if he said the sex wasn't mind blowing. It had been so good, in fact, that Sophia passed out in the bed beside him after they were both properly sated.

"


	4. Casual Affair

When Sophia woke up the next morning, she was surprised to find Oswald spooning her with his face buried in the crook of her neck. She snickered to herself as she realized the most powerful man in Gotham was wrapped around her like an octopus. She reached behind her and petted his hair befoee unwrapping herself from his arms and heading out to the kitchen. She put on the same fluffy bathrobe and relished in its warmth while taking a big sip of coffee from the mug in her hand. She loved the warmth of it all since Oswald kept his place just on the colder side of comfortable. She couldn't stop smiling to herself as she felt like she was starting to get him wrapped around her little finger the way she wanted.

"You know I've never heard Oswald make those noises before... Well actually, once before, but it doesn't matter." Ed walked up behind her and made her jump in surprise. Sophia turned around and came face to face with the tall thin man that first introduced her to Oswald.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about" Sophia asked.

"Pffft, oh please! I know you and Oswald were having sex last night. I have the room right next to his. Your moans were even louder than his." Ed said with a shrug. Sophia immediately blushed, taking another sip of her coffee. Ed, meanwhile, started feeling slight twinges of jealousy over this, much like how Oswald was jealous of Isabella. He wasn't in love with Oswald yet it still stung to know that some random woman, a stripper no less, took Oswald's virginity.

"If you're using him, if you hurt him in any way, I'll hunt you down and skin you alive." Ed whispered to her and Sophia coughed into her coffee. She knew Oswald had murdered before, but all those he killed were evil and deserved it. However, he hung around with this guy who killed seemingly indiscriminately. Was manipulating Oswald really worth it if she could potentially lose her life if he found out? Regardless, she swallowed hard and looked back up at the man with harsh eyes.

"What, are you jealous that I got to ride his cock instead of you? Do you want his big dick too? It is quite nice by the way. He certainly knows how to use it." She teased and Ed locked his jaw. He knew there was something up with this woman. There was something she wasn't saying. She was planning something... He just didn't know what. Ed then leaned in closer, staring directly into her eyes.

"You don't know him the way I do. I know you're planning to do something with him and when I found out, I'm gonna tell him, and your whole scheme is gonna come crashing down." He threatened. That was when Sophia's poker face broke. This guy, whoever he was, was potentially even more dangerous than Oswald and she did not want to get on his bad side. However, she couldn't stop herself from clapping back with a witty retort.

"You're being paranoid, daddy long legs. Can't a woman just enjoy having casual sex with the most powerful man in Gotham?" She smirked and it took every ounce of self restraint Ed had not to punch her straight in the face. He was about to respond but cut himself off when Oswald walked into the room.

"Good morning Ed, good morning Sophia." Oswald said with a smile, limping over to the counter and taking a piece of bacon that Sophia had made for herself.

"Why did you let her stay over? How do you know she's not going to rat us out?" Ed spat, causing Oswald to quirk his eyebrow.

"Ed, Sophia is my guest. Plus, she knows who I am and she knows my reputation. Hopefully she's smart enough not to say anything. Right?" He looked over at Sophia who nodded before walking over and grabbing Oswald by the collar, kissing him hard and passionately. She did it intentionally as she opened her eyes to glance over at Ed who looked positively fuming with anger. Sophia pulled back for a moment before straightening Oswald's jacket.

"Sadly, I must be off now. I do thank you for the amazing night and letting me stay over." She said with a smile and Oswald smiled in return.

"Yes, well, it was no trouble at all. After all, you have me one of the most incredible nights of my life." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'll see you at the Iceberg Lounge tonight around 8 then?" Sophia nodded before glancing back at Ed, blowing him a kiss, and returning to her room to find her clothes from the previous night as well as a new dress lying on the bed. There was a note stuck to the dress that read "Hope you like your new uniform. I think you'll fit right in. ~ P" Sophia chuckled and took the dress with her as Gabe led her out and took her back to her own apartment. 

All while she was leaving, Ed was staring Oswald down in the kitchen in a complete state of shock.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I never pinned you as the type of man who would lower himself to have sex with a stripper. I mean, do you even care about her at all?" Ed rambled on, clearly irritated by Sophia's presence in Oswald's life. The shorter man laughed at Ed's words, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching his friend closely.

"What, I have to care about someone to have sex with them now? It was just mindless sex, Ed. No strings attached. I don't have any romantic feelings for her. Does it bother you that I've been sleeping with her?" Oswald asked, genuinely curious as to why Ed even cared. He was in love with Ed for so long and the man never once returned his feelings, so why would he suddenly have feelings now?

"Oswald, she's playing you and you're too blind to see it! She's a stripper from a seedy club who fucked you for free. Did you ever consider that she's only having sex with you for your money?!" Ed shouted and Oswald stared at him with wide eyes. Oswald's face hardened then, poking Ed in the chest with his cane.

"Of course I had considered that, Ed. She used to be a prostitute. She knows how to manipulate men. I know she's probably playing me but hey, out of the two of us, which of us is currently getting laid?" Oswald gave him a smug look before walking off to handle a business deal with Victor Zsasz. Ed just stood there annoyed and dumbfounded, wondering why exactly the oh so clever Penguin had become so wrapped up in this pitiful girl.


	5. The Good, The Bad, And The Dirty

Back at Sophia's apartment, she fell back down on her bed, clutching at the dress that Oswald gave her. She was starting to regret the decision to seduce the Penguin. With this Ed guy on her tail, would she really get away with what she wanted to do? Then again, Oswald was quite handsome plus he was rich and the ultimate safety net, so maybe it was worth it. Either way, she'd have to make a choice sooner rather than later as she was employed at the Iceberg Lounge and there was no way to avoid him at work.

When 8 o' clock finally rolled around, Sophia felt her heart begin to race. She was genuinely excited to see him at his best at his club. The dress he gave her fit like a glove, the purple sequins making her sparkle with every movement. She pulled her hair back into a loose bun and took a deep breath before heading back to The Penguin's domain, the Iceberg Lounge.

The music was loud and booming around herm the patrons of the lounge looking her up and down as they tried to figure out who she was. After she clocked in, the lead dancer introduced her to the rest of the employees and explained what her duties were. Surprisingly what she did in Penguin's club wasn't that different than what she did at the strip club. She had to dance and sing and provide entertainment but she had to keep her clothes on. She also wouldn't be getting paid to do lap dances or anything like that. Before she could do her first dance, however, she had to work behind the bar. All dancers had to know how to bartend since a good drink often helped the patrons enjoy the dancers a little bit more. Sophia had bartended a little at the strip club, but she didn't know any tricks with the glasses or fancy ways to pour the liquor. Luckily her coworker Angie was nice enough to teach her the ropes.

Sophia had been working for a little over an hour when she first saw Oswald. He strode into the place in the same way an emperor might've. He held his head high with people moving out of his way as he walked. Sophia couldn't help but notice how regal he looked in the suit he had chosen for that night. He had enough money for any fancy suit in the world and she had to admire him for it. Their eyes met for a moment and he winked at her, causing her to smile and laugh back at him. He was definitely charming, that much Sophia couldn't deny.

As the night went on, she kept her eyes on Oswald whenever he passed by and every time, she seemed to be more and more entranced by him. She knew she only wanted him for his money and power, but what would it hurt to actually care for him a bit?

As it would eventually turned out, it would hurt quite a lot.

When her shift finally ended, Oswald was nowhere to be found and she assumed he was away on business. She knew enough about him to know that bothering him during business was pretty much a death sentence, so she left without much of a notice. Little did she know Oswald had been looking for her but she left before he could get to her. Despite telling himself that the sex was meaningless, that she meant absolutely nothing to him, he couldn't avoid wanting to know more about her. So, when he himself came back to the lounge a week or so later, Sophia was surprised when Angie gave her a note from Oswald.

"You'll be my private waitress tonight. You'll be serving drinks to my friends and I in the back room. ~P"

Sophia smiled in the hopes that this would be an opportunity to further dig herself under his skin. To possibly carve out a perfect sized hole for herself in his heart. She quickly made her way to the back room where she found Oswald, Ed, Gabe, and a bunch of other associates drinking and gambling and generally having a good time.

"Ahh! Sophia! Come here and take our orders!" Oswald called to her and she promptly made her way to his side, "I think we'll have, what, five bottles of the best wine in my private collection and maybe two bottles of that 50 year old Highland Park for starters." He said with a smile and Sophia nodded. She was about to make her way back to the bar when one of his business partners stopped her.

"You look familiar... Have we met before?" The man was short and bearded and looked like he belonged in Middle Earth, the thought of which was making Sophia snicker to herself.

"Not that I know of." She replied. The man continued staring at her for a moment before it dawned on him.

"Oh yeah, I do know you! You were one of Big Dinero's old vixens! God, you were the one that gave me the best blowjob I've ever had in my life!" He laughed, turning to Oswald, "Hey Penguin, how the hell did you get her on your payroll? Big Dinero charged me almost 2 grand for a ten minute handjob from her!" The man rambled and Sophia immediately felt angry and uncomfortable. Big Dinero was her old pimp and she had done everything in her power to cut him out of her life. She even went so far as to avoid certain restaurants that he frequented so she wouldn't have to run into him.

So for this man to have the balls to bring up that dark part of her past, Sophia felt fury begin to flood her veins. She grabbed a wine corkscrew from a side table and quickly held it to the man's throat, her action silencing the whole room.

"Do not take me for what I used to be. I only sucked your pathetic chode because Big Dinero forced me to. If you ever bring up that part of my life again, I won't hesitate to shove this corkscrew down your dickhole." She growled and the man let out a measly whimper. Oswald, meanwhile, practically felt his heart stop upon seeing the fire inside this beauty bubbling to the surface. He was desperate to see more but he knew he had to play the long game.

"Mr. McNamara, I'd suggest you do as she says. After all, a woman from the streets probably knows how to defend herself in the most interesting ways." Oswald piped up and the man raised his hands in defeat.

"Fine, ok, I'm sorry! I won't mention it again!" He exclaimed and Sophia pulled way, running a hand through her hair and collecting herself.

"So, five bottles of wine and two bottles of that vintage whiskey. Anything else?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, maybe your phone number?" Another man spoke up and Sophia raised an eyebrow. This man was young and rather attractive with chiseled features and dark hair. If she wanted Oswald to keep her as her sugar baby, she'd have to make him jealous. She smirked at the man before writing a cell phone number on a napkin and handing it to the man. Luckily it was the joke number for the Rejection Hotline but it still made Oswald think she gave him her real number. She could immediately tell he was starting to get possessive due to the darkness of his expression.

"That'll be all, Sophia." Oswald said and sent her off. The moment she left, Oswald leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table as if he was trying to figure out what to do next.

"Oswald, I've seen that look before. You're not jealous of that guy since she gave him her number are you?" Ed chimed in, causing Oswald to force himself to relax.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous? She's just my employee, I can't stop her from dating someone."

"Yeah, but she's also your employee whom you happen to be fucking. Why do I feel like that may be swaying your judgement a bit?" Ed replied and Oswald said nothing, finishing off the rest of his drink and trying not to look at Ed to confirm his suspicions. When Sophia returned with the drinks, she handed everyone with they desired before stepping onto the small stage in front of them. She cleared her throat to get their attention and they all turned to look at her.

"As you know, one of my roles here other than being a waitress is to provide entertainment. I've decided to show off my best dance for you all tonight as a way to say thank you to the Penguin for hiring me." Sophia explained, walking over to the stereo and pressing play. The CD she had put in earlier began to play, a loud and sudden rock beat echoing throughout the room as the song "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" by Set It Off started playing. She started moving with the beat, swinging her hips and flipping her hair as the music took hold of her. Everyone's eyes were on her as she danced, her movements almost hypnotizing them all. It was her most well known dance after all and it tended to get her the biggest tips back at the strip club. When the bridge of the song hit, Sophia walked out into the crowd, her eyes locking with Oswald's. He was staring her down as if she were a piece of meat, his body already responding to the sexual dance as evident by the bulge forming in his pants. She ran her index finger along his jawline and winked at him before returning to the stage as the song ended. The room was silent for a few seconds before erupting in applause. Some men shouted, others whistled, but Oswald just slowly applauded as his mind race with ideas of how he was going to fuck her later. She needed to be punished for that, for showing off what was his to everyone else.

"Thank you very much for that wonderful dance, Sophia. I'm sure we all enjoyed it." Oswald said with a forced smile. His odd expression left Sophia confused but grateful nonetheless. She continued to wait on the private party for the remainder of the night, providing food and drink as well as pleasant conversation. She was definitely enjoying this far more than her previous jobs. Sure, horny men were still oggling her, but she kept her clothes on the entire time and she was making more money than she ever had before. In fact, she was making so much money that if she kept working there, she wouldn't need to mooch off Oswald anymore.

Once the party had finally ended and Sophia was helping close up for the night, she was surprised when Oswald walked up to her.

"What the hell was that, hm? Why the hell did you decide to dance for everyone? I didn't tell you to do that?" Oswald immediately protested, his crystal blue eyes seemingly full of fury. Sophia quirked her eyebrow and looked up at him quizzically, leaning on the bar.

"What do you mean? I told you why I did it; as a thank you to you for hiring me! Your associates seemed to enjoy it just as much as you did! Plus, isn't it my job to dance and entertain?"

"Yes but..." Oswald cleared his throat, trying to keep himself in control, "You've only been working here for a few weeks. You're still behind the bar for now. Once you get the hand of that, then you can move on to dancing." He explained. He tried to make his words as believable as possible since he didn't want to tell her that the real reason was because he didn't want the others to see her dance. He wanted her all to himself. Sophia, however, saw through his bullshit almost immediately but said nothing. She only nodded and finished putting away the clean glasses behind the bar.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Mr. Cobblepot." She said as innocently as possible, not knowing just how infuriating her response was to him. He audibly growled then, causing her to turn back around to face him, "Jesus, ok, I'm sincerely sorry this time. I didn't know you were so strict on employee rules here." She spat. Unfortunately, that was the tipping point for Oswald. He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into a back room, staring her down.

"Ow! What the hell is your-" Sophia was cut off when Oswald pinned her to the wall in a punishing kiss, one hand immediately tangling in her hair. He kissed her deeper and harder before licking two of his fingers, rucking up her dress, pushing her panties aside, and plunging his wet fingers as deep inside her as he could. Sophia made no attempts to escape or protest because she loved seeing his dark side. She threw her head back against the wall and wrapped one leg around his waist as he continued to finger fuck her. She started soaking his hand with her wetness as he found her G-Spot almost immediately, making her nearly scream with every press of it. While he was busy with her, Sophia reached inbetween them and cupped his erection through his pants. Oswald grunted in response, working his fingers harder inside her and his thumb started pressing her clit. She squirmed under his touch, moans escaping from her mouth as she thrusted against his hand. Oswald felt her body twitching and clenching around his fingers as her end approached and he laughed, working her even harder.

"C'mon Sophia, cum for your king!" Oswald commanded and Sophia did just that, breaking apart against him. Her back arched and she moaned loudly as her orgasm tore through her. Her inner walls squeezed around his fingers until she started to relax, panting hard in an attempt to catch her breath. She stared at him through fuzzy vision, the room seeming to blur around them from the amazing orgasm.

"Holy shit..." She gasped, watching him in awe before practically yanking him over to the couch. She pushed him onto his back and crawled on top of him, unbuttoning his pants and pulling his cock out completely. After stroking it for a few moments, Sophia lined him up before sinking down onto him until he bottomed out inside her.

"Fuck yeah..." She moaned, leaning back as she began to ride him. However, it seemed the pace she set was too slow for Oswald because the next thing she knew, he was pounding into her as hard as he could. He gripped her hips tightly, holding her steady in order to thrust hard and fast into her waiting heat.

"Yeah, oh yeah, you like this huh? You like it when I fuck you... You love getting fucked by the most powerful man in Gotham!" Oswald gasped, sitting up and taking a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back to expose her neck to him," Your pussy is mine and mine alone, do you hear me? I don't want any other men to even THINK they have a chance with you! As long as you work here, my dick will be the only thing making you scream. I'll make you BEG for my cock if you disobey me again! Oh yeah, and if you try that phone number stunt again, you'll learn just how dangerous I can be!" Sophia was shocked at just how dirty Oswald could get, especially in his words.

"I didn't know you could dirty talk like that!" She panted, feeling herself clenching down harder on him as he started sucking angry hickies onto her neck. Oswald kept pounding into her as he felt his end nearing as well, his teeth gritting and his whole body beginning to tense.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Sophia." He hissed, his jaw dripping and he started gasping for breath as his orgasm began to overtake him. He bit her neck hard, sucking another hickie onto her skin as his end crashed over him. He pushed himself as deep inside her as he physically could, his cock twitching and spurting ropes of hot cum into her waiting body.

"AHH SHIT!!" He snarled, reaching between them and tweaking her clit in order to get her there as well. It didn't take him very long though since just the feeling of his warmth spreading through her body had almost taken her over the edge by itself. However, when he started flicking her clit, she was gone.

"OSWALD!" She cried out, her body clenching hard and tightening around him. Her warm tightness rippled against him, milking his cock for anything his body had left to give her. They both rode out their highs together, leaving them breathless and pressing their foreheads together.

"Oh my God.." Sophia breathed with a laugh, shaking her head and petting his hair, "I might dance for your friends more often if this is the consequence." She joked, opening her eyes and gazing into his, noticing the odd sparkle his beautiful eyes held.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, lazily playing with a strand of his hair. Oswald just let out a shaky breath, his hand finally moving off her hip to slowly rub her arm. In truth, Oswald was thinking about the potential consequences for him if he let himself start to care for this girl. He had finally begun to learn quite a lot about her, after all he had his men look into the backgrounds of all his employees, and she seemed like a reputable person. But analytical information, no matter how useful, didn't have the same punch as emotional information. That's why he had fallen for Edward as the two of them shared a strong mental bond formed on the basis of trust. This girl, he had no reason to trust her other than the fact that she hadn't killed him every time they fucked. He needed to know he could trust her. He needed to know if she could be useful to him as something other than a fuckbuddy.

"Nothing my dear... I was just admiring the way your green eyes have little flecks of hazel in them." Oswald lied with a smile. He had a plan for her test, but it would take a while to execute. 

After all, he needed to find this Big Dinero guy in order for it to even work.


	6. The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BE WARNED, THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF RAPE AND ABUSE!!!! IF YOU'RE NOT INTO THAT STUFF, AVOID THIS CHAPTER!

Surprisingly enough, it didn't take Oswald's men too long to find Big Dinero. In fact, it only took them about three weeks to set up a meeting with him. When Big Dinero learned that the great Penguin wanted to speak with him, he was more than happy to oblige. The man pulled up in front of the Iceberg Lounge in a stylish purple limousine and walked out with four of his most beautiful girls by his side. The man was dressed in a pink zebra striped suit and walked with a gold cane as if he was a pimp from a terrible cartoon. He was also somehow paler and whiter than Oswald yet he acted like he was a badass rapper who ruled the streets. Many of the male patrons of the Iceberg Lounge recognized him and the girls almost immediately as Big Dinero was one of the largest dealers of the flesh trade in Gotham. His girls took up nearly 80 percent of the prostitution circuit in Gotham City. So, to Big Dinero, this meeting with Penguin was just another everyday affair but he wanted to do it in style as the Penguin had quite a lot of money to his name. When Big Dinero and his girls entered the private back room, Oswald limped over to him with a smile.

"Mr. Dinero, I appreciate you accepting my invitation." Oswald began, shaking the man's hand and offering him a drink.

"Nah Penguin, just call me Big D. After all, that's what my ladies call me." He smirked, his golden teeth flashing in Oswald's eyes from one of the bar lights reflecting off them, "It's no problem at all, my man. I just never pinned you as the type to want to buy a woman. But then again, when I come see a customer, they don't want to be lectured, they want to be loved."

"Well Big D, you've underestimated me then haven't you? I just want something quick and fun. Maybe someone with loose morals and who wouldn't mind getting a bit rough." Oswald mused, glancing over at Gabe in the corner and nodding. Gabe then escorted the ladies that Big Dinero brought with him out to the main bar, leaving the famous pimp rather confused.

"Man, whatchu playin at? Do none of those girls interest you?" He asked, almost offended.

"No, you see, none of them were my type. I'm looking for a woman with blonde curly hair, preferably green eyes, and a body like a greek goddess. You have any of those?" Oswald's face grew serious then and Big Dinero began to feel nervous.

"I used to have a girl like that. She was my pride and joy, a real money maker. She knew what the good Lord gave her and she knew exactly how to use it."

"Used to have her? What happened to her?"

"She got away from me somehow. About four years ago I go to her place to get my cut and she's gone. Bitch left me high and dry, that ungrateful cunt. You know I gave her everything? I paid for her clothes, her apartment, medical shit, everything! And then she just runs off with my money, never to be seen again." Big Dinero knocked his drink back and slammed it down on the table. He was obviously still pissed about losing his star girl and Oswald could tell. It was now or never for Sophia's test and Oswald prayed she would pass it.

"Do you remember her name?" Oswald asked, staring the pimp down with harsh eyes.

"Ahh shit... It started with an "s" I know that. What was it... Sarah? Susie? So-"

"Sophia?" Oswald chimed in and Big Dinero froze.

"That's it, Sophia... I used to call her Tokyo Drift cuz she would drive men crazy." Big Dinero leaned closer, watching Oswald carefully, "Do you know where I can find her?"

"Oh yes. Yes I do." Oswald stood up and walked over to the door that led to the main bar, "Sophia! Would you come here for a moment?" Sophia had been pouring drinks for a large party when Oswald called for her. She excused herself before approaching him with a smile on her face.

"What do you need Mr. Cobb-" Sophia stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her abusive former pimp sitting across the table from Oswald. She felt her heart stop for a few seconds as she struggled to find the words for what she wanted to say.

"What the fuck is he doing here, Oswald?" Sophia demanded, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as the years of rape and abuse came back to her.

"Well I'll be damned, Tokyo Drift! I've been wondering where you slipped off to!" Big Dinero stood up and started to approach her, but he was stopped by two of Penguin's larger men, "Aw c'mon man, I just wanna see my girl again!"

"You mean your slave!" She spat at him, "How could you ever think I'd welcome you back into my life after what you've done?! You sold me to the highest bidder like I was cattle and then raped me afterwards in order to "cleanse me" of their scent! And when some asshole jipped me of my pay, you took it out on me and beat the shit out of me!" Sophia screamed, turning to Oswald with a look of horror on her face, "Why did you bring him here?! Why would you torture me like this?! I thought you cared about me atleast a little!" She was so distraught over seeing her old pimp again that when Oswald put a gun in her hand, she didn't even flinch.

"That. That is why I brought him here. I want you to kill him, Sophia. End his reign of terror like I know you're desperate to do! Killing him will bring you peace and it will free the hundreds of girls he's been treating just like he treated you!" After the initial shock started to fade, Sophia finally realized what Oswald was asking of her. He wanted her to become a murderer. Out of all the horrible things she had ever done, Sophia NEVER wanted to kill anyone. She turned to face Big Dinero for a moment as he struggled against Penguin's men before turning back to Oswald. She swore she felt her heart break when she saw the hopeful smile on his face. She had actually started to care for him over the time that she had known him and she was planning on getting even closer to him... But the moment he put the gun in her hand made it all come crashing down.

"No... I won't kill him." She breathed, throwing the gun onto the table as if it had burned her.

"But he hurt you! He beat you and raped you! Doesn't he deserve this?!" Oswald shouted in response. He was confused as to why she wouldn't want to kill him, especially after what he had done to her.

"Yes he did, but it's not my choice if he lives or dies! I don't want to play God, Oswald! I'm not a murderer! I may be damaged, but I am not a killer!" Tears then spilled onto her cheeks and she backed away from him, "How could you do this to me? How could you want me to kill him?"

"Because I want you to be free! I thought I could trust you with all of me, even the dark and dangerous parts like this. I thought you were someone who'd do anything for me!"

"Well you thought wrong. I did trust you, Oswald. I trusted you not to hurt me like he did. I shouldn't have made myself believe that. Sure, you haven't physically hurt me, but you asking me to murder a man in cold blood has cut me deeper than any knife ever could." Her words were full of venom as she glared at him. He stared back at her with wide eyes, hoping she'd take back what she said. But just given the angry tears staining her face, he knew she never would. Oswald said nothing but picked up the gun and shot Big Dinero six times, emptying the revolver into the man's chest. Sophia screamed in horror as the man fell dead to the floor.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, OSWALD COBBLEPOT?!" She screamed again at him.

"I'm the Penguin, sweetheart! I kill people! I rob, I lie, I cheat, and I KILL! You knew who I was when you fucked me in my car that night. Don't tell me you didn't know what you were getting into. Or maybe you're just a dumb blonde haired bimbo who belonged at that piss poor excuse for a strip club." His words stung and Sophia could no longer take it. She turned and ran from the club in tears, running to her apartment a few blocks away as fast as she could. She slid down the door after she slammed it closed, sobbing and fisting her hands in her hair. She knew he was a bad man, she knew he killed people... So why did she let herself believe he could've been a good man for her? Why did she open her heart, even if only slightly, for a man that was bound to destroy it anyway? Sophia never wanted to see him again after that night. She didn't even want to think about him. She went so far as to cancel her newspaper subscription so she wouldn't hear about the Penguin and change her phone number in order to forget him.

Unfortunately it seemed as if the universe had a sick, twisted sense of humor as the positive pregnancy test she held in her hand nearly a week later proved.


	7. I Write Sins Not Tragedies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING, THIS CHAPTER TALKS ABOUT ABORTION AND THE LAWS REGARDING ABORTION IN AMERICA, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THAT KIND OF STUFF, PLEASE AVOID THIS CHAPTER!!

Sophia was pregnant with Oswald Cobblepot's child and she had no idea what to do or where to turn. She had first started to suspect something when she missed her period a few days after her confrontation with Big Dinero. At first, she thought it was just stress since she'd gotten her period late due to stress before. However, when her period remained absent for 3 days, 4 days, 5 days... Sophia became concerned. Her cycle had always been consistent, so when it just stopped, the thought of pregnancy crossed her mind and made her feel sick. She tried to recall any time in which she and Oswald used protection during their lovemaking and she couldn't remember a single time when he put a condom on. Every single time they had sex, he had spilled himself inside her completely unprotected.

"Shit!!! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! How could you have been so goddamn stupid?!" She yelled at herself, putting her head in her hands and gripping at her hair. After the initial shock finally went away, she made an appointment for herself at the OBGYN. She needed to make sure this was really happening before she did anything. After all, false positives were quite common.

* * *

 

"Well, you are indeed pregnant, Miss Lorenski. You're about 7 weeks along to be exact." The doctor confirmed and Sophia had to swallow the bile that formed in her throat. She looked over at the screen which showed a grey mess with one little black spot in the middle. That spot was her baby.

It was also the baby of the infamous Penguin.

The doctor cleaned her up and gave her a prescription for some prenatal vitamins before sending her on her way. The whole time, however, Sophia's mind was consumed by conflicting thoughts. As a child, she had hoped that she would have kids of her own one day. She wanted a family that she could love and care for and whom would care for her in return. A family that was actually normal unlike how she grew up. That part of her was begging her to keep it. Her heart clenched at the thought of holding her baby for the first time. She thought of how it might look, with Oswald's hair and her eyes. She just hoped to God it wouldn't get his nose.

But the opposite feeling was also pulsing around in her mind. She reminded herself that she was a former prostitute and stripper and that she was currently unemployed. She quit her job at the Iceberg Lounge after Oswald killed Big Dinero. She couldn't raise a baby in the small shitty apartment she was currently living in. Even though she had saved a lot of money she got from working for Oswald, it was nowhere near enough to support both her and a child. Her fears began to consume her and overwhelmed all the positive aspects to her situation.

It was then that she decided an abortion would be her best choice. Not only was she not fit to raise a child, she couldn't possibly raise Oswald's child. With him being the father, that put her in all sorts of dangerous situations due to his numerous enemies. She couldn't have his baby... She just couldn't do it.

The very next day, after a rough nights sleep, Sophia went to her appointment at the Planned Parenthood of Gotham. The nice brunette at the front desk greeted her with an apologetic smile before handing her a clipboard and telling her to fill out the paperwork before waiting for her name to be called. She began filling out the paperwork, trying hard not to focus on the fact that Oswald Cobblepot's child was growing inside her, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey... You ok?" Sophia looked over at the woman who spoke to her. She was quite beautiful with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sparkling smile.

"No... uh... not really. I'm having to do something I wish I didn't have to do." She murmured, tapping the pen in her hand on the clipboard.

"Don't worry, really... If it's what's best for you, then you go ahead and do it. I'm just here for a pap smear but I have a feeling you're here for a whole different reason." The woman continued, reaching over and taking Sophia's hand in her gloved one. The woman, Sophia noticed, was dressed rather fancy for just getting a simple pap smear, but she herself had fucked the Penguin so who was she to judge? She finished the paperwork and returned it to the front desk before sitting back down next to the strange woman.

"I want to keep this baby, I really do, but there's too many factors at play for me to keep it. The father is very dangerous plus I couldn't support it on my own... I have no other choice." Her voice broke and the woman rubbed her thumb over her knuckles.

"Hey, it'll turn out right in the end, I promise. I'm Barbara by the way." She said with a smile.

"Sophia... It's nice to meet you Barbara." Sophia sniffed and finally began to relax until the nurse called for her. She was escorted back to a triage room where they asked her all sorts of questions about her body and her sex life until it was finally time for the ultrasound. Sadly, Gotham was in one of those states that forced mandatory ultrasounds before an abortion. The nurse inserted the probe into her and looked inside her womb, measuring the length of the embryo and other such things but she generally remained silent. Sophia originally didn't want to look at the screen and she kept her head turned away from the machine. However, the moment she heard the baby's heartbeat, her own heart broke in her chest. She couldn't do it. She couldn't get rid of the life that was so clearly thriving inside her womb just because she was selfish. She had her own child to think about now, regardless of who its father was.

"I can't... I cant do it. I'm sorry, can we- can we stop now please?" Sophia struggled against the nurse who pulled out the probe and cleaned her up before Sophia practically bolted from the clinic. She ended up passing Barbara on her way out who stopped her before she reached her car.

"Hey, how'd it go? You ok?" Barbara asked.

"I didn't go through with it, Barbara. I couldn't do it. I'll find a way to make enough money to support both of us, but I just can't kill a child that hasn't had a chance at life yet. It's not my right..." She explained and Barbara smiled, patting her on the shoulder.

"You'll get through it girl. You'll push on and your baby will be happy and safe, I know it." Sophia nodded and hugged Barbara for a moment before getting in her car and driving off. The second she left the Planned Parenthood parking lot, Barbara pulled out her phone and called Penguin. This would certainly be an interesting piece of information for him. 

Oswald was in the middle of a meeting when his phone rang. A small part of him hoped it was Sophia but she had left him when he was only trying to help her. He knew she wouldn't be calling him. He deserved to be alone, atleast that's how he felt in his own mind anyway. He didn't deserve any happiness after what he'd done in his life.

"Excuse me," Oswald said to his associates before picking up his phone, "This better be good."

"Oh trust me Pingu, you'll wanna hear this." Barbara purred and Oswald tensed. Whenever Barbara called him, it was never good, "I just wanted to send my congratulations on your happy news."

"What the hell are you talking about, Miss Kean?"

"Ohhhh... You don't know then? Well this is definitely more delicious than I first thought." She snickered, "You're going to be a father, Oswald. I just ran into that beautiful blonde stripper of yours at the Planned Parenthood. She originally went in for an abortion but she changed her mind and left a few minutes ago." Barbara's words made Oswald stand up straight immediately. Sophia was pregnant... Sophia was pregnant with HIS CHILD... And she was going to abort it without ever telling him. His jaw locked and he clenched his fist at his side, gripping his phone so hard it almost shattered.

"Thank you very much for this information, Miss Kean. I owe you a favor in the future for this." He said with a shaky voice before hanging up. Everyone else in the room watched him curiously and Ed stood in the doorway a bit concerned.

"Everyone out... NOW." He growled and no one thought to question him, each of them leaving the room except for Ed who approached slowly.

"What the hell did Barbara say to you?" Ed asked, noticing the way Oswald's face paled.

"She said Sophia is pregnant. It has to be my child, Ed. And... And she was going to have an abortion before she changed her mind." Oswald breathed and Ed's eyes went wide. He knew Oswald was ruled by his emotions and if he lost this child, it would destroy him. He'd already lost his mother, his father, and Ed himself when Ed tried to kill him.

"What do you want to do?" Ed asked and Oswald swallowed dryly.

"I need to see her again. I don't care if she doesn't want to see me, I need to see her again." Oswald murmured and he knew Ed would easily find her with a little searching. He hadn't gone looking for her after she quit the Iceberg Lounge since he assumed it would only mean heartbreak on both sides. But now he had a reason to see her. She was carrying his child.


	8. Bittersweet

Oswald was right in tasking Ed with finding her since he pinpointed her apartment within an hour. Not even 30 minutes later, Oswald and Ed were knocking at her front door. Ed demanded to come along as extra protection due to the bad neighborhood and Oswald didn't protest. When Sophia heard the knock at her door, she assumed it was just her elderly neighbor asking for some ketchup again. However, when she opened the door and was confronted by Oswald and Ed, fear gripped at her heart. She tried to slam the door in his face but Ed stopped the door before she could. She backed away from them, staring at Oswald with a look of horror on her face.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded and Oswald let out a sigh.

"I just decided to drop by, say hi, and ask why you didn't tell me you're pregnant." He said and Sophia's eyes widened.

"H-how... how did you find out?"

"I have my sources." He started, approaching her and she froze, her heart racing. The man standing before her could kill her with a snap of his fingers if he wished. This was also the same man she had begun to fall for only a few weeks prior before he killed Big Dinero. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him and hold him in her arms but she knew what he really was. She knew what he was capable of... She knew how far he was willing to go as long as it benefitted him.

"Did you really think you could keep my child from me? Were you even planning on telling me? Did you ever once consider that I may have wanted this child as well?" His statement made Ed look at him in shock. Sophia was equally confused herself. She never thought he'd actually want to be a father.

"I.... I wanted to tell you, but I was scared. I'm terrified of you. I don't know if you'll try to make me kill again or do something horrible to our child. I thought I knew who you were, but when you put that gun in my hand and asked me to kill Big Dinero, you broke my heart and showed me who you really are." She explained, her voice cracking as she spoke the truth.

"You were using him for his power and his money, how could he break your heart if you never even cared for him in the first place?" Ed hissed from behind them but before Oswald could say something, Sophia beat him to the punch.

"I wasn't using him for his power and his money though I'll admit, I thought about it at first. But then I got to know him. I felt his arms wrapped around me as I woke up in his bed. I saw the way loneliness stung his soul and I stayed only BECAUSE I cared about him. How could you ever judge me for not caring when you rejected his affections and tried to kill him!" She spat at Ed.

"How did you know about that?" Ed snapped.

"How she knows is of no consequence, Ed. What matters is that she's right. What also matters is that she's carrying my child and I want to be involved in its life." Oswald piped up, glaring back at Ed. 

"I won't let you use them for whatever sick, twisted black market operations you do." Sophia said defensively, unconsciously putting a protective hand over her abdomen.

"Do you really think I would do that to my own child?"

"Well you wanted me to kill my ex pimp so I don't even know where your limit is for evil shit." Oswald then rushed her, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.

"I did that because I wanted to free you from the pain of your past! You told me how badly he hurt you, how he forced you to do things you didn't want to do, and it made me furious! I couldn't just let a man like that live after what he did to one of the only people I fucking care about!" Oswald blurted out, not really realizing what he was saying until it was too late, "I did care for you, Sophia, I still do. I want to find out who you really are. I want to trust you." He admitted and Sophia felt tears prickling in her eyes.

"I want to trust you as well, but I feel like I don't know who you are anymore." She whispered, moving backward and out of his grasp. She wanted him in her life desperately but he was too unpredictable. She had no idea what could potentially set him off. If the baby kept crying for hours on end, would he slit its throat to get it to shut up? She had no idea and it was that uncertainty that scared her.

Ed then stepped forward, putting a hand on Oswald's shoulder and leaning in close to his ear.

"Remember how you told me that loving me made you weak? That you would never make that mistake again? Don't let her pull you in. She'll make you weak." Ed whispered and Oswald tensed, remembering exactly what he had said. However, what happened with Ed was under entirely different circumstances. This would possibly be his chance to find love that would actually make him stronger rather than weaker. This child could mean a new beginning for him. The tiny wriggling life inside his beautiful goddess could be his new start. This could be a spark of true happiness for him if he just let it in.

"I won't apologize for killing big Dinero, but I will apologize for thinking you could stomach killing him yourself. Some people aren't able to handle taking someone else's life, and right now, I'm happy you're that kind of person." Oswald stepped closer to her and put a hand on her still flat stomach. His fingers trembled as he looked into her eyes, feeling his heart beginning to thaw after Ed had left it for dead in the freezing cold waters surrounding Gotham. "If you were like me and you could kill, I fear our baby wouldn't have survived." Sophia was frozen to the spot, her heart pounding a mile a minute as his touch made her crave the rest of him. That was the thing about him, she couldn't avoid him no matter how badly she may have wanted to. A tiny piece of him had lodged itself both into her heart and her womb and she couldn't let him go.

And that realization killed her inside. She had fallen for a murderer, for one of the deadliest men in Gotham, and she was also carrying his child. She wanted to reignite their relationship, knowing fully well how damaged he was. She would always be just as damaged as him.

And that's why they were perfect together in her eyes.

"Sophia?" Oswald spoke up, moving his hand under her chin to get her to look at him.

"Oswald... I can never be free of you. Despite my best efforts, I'll never get you out of my head." She whispered shakily, trying to stay strong as she pushed him away, "I just... I need time... Please... This has all just been one massive whirlwind and I need to process it all." She asked and Oswald sighed before adjusting his jacket and nodding.

"Fine, just please stay safe. If something happened to you or the baby, I-" He cut himself off and Ed cleared his throat behind him.

"Oswald, we really should get going." The taller man said and Oswald collected himself. Just before leaving, he placed a small key on the table beside the front door.

"I hope to see you again, Miss Lorenski. Stay safe." Oswald murmured before leaving Sophia's apartment with Ed in tow. Her place was now completely silent except for the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. Sophia remained frozen in place for a few moments before screaming in agony, collapsing to her knees in tears.

Sophia Lorenski was in love with Oswald Cobblepot and, in her eyes, it was more of a curse rather than a blessing.


	9. House Of Memories

The both of them spent that night as emotional messes. Sophia was crying and curled up on her bed while Oswald was drinking away his sorrows while trying to get it through his head that he was going to be a father... That he was finally going to have a child of his own. A child that would be stronger than he was because they deserved it. They deserved a better life than what he had. And he would do whatever it took to give them that life. Oddly enough, Sophia was thinking the same thing. She hoped that because Oswald was the father that maybe, just maybe, their child could potentially have a happy and well lived life. She wanted her baby not to face any of the hardships she had... She was willing to die if it meant that their child would be safe. Her hand slowly went down to her stomach, noting that the skin there was slightly more firm than usual bit other than that, there wasn't really any outward sign that she was pregnant. Sophia knew that would obviously change as time went on, but at that moment, she could pretend like everything was normal, like she wasn't carrying the Penguin's baby inside of her.

Unfortunately, even though there weren't any physical signs on the outside, she still knew in her head that she was pregnant. After all, that very night, a haunting dream had her waking up in a cold sweat. Visions of her and Oswald together, images of a little boy with blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and a nose sharp enough to cut glass. The boy was laughing and giggling, running after Oswald and tacking him to the ground. She smiled at the scene before her, amazed at how truly happy Oswald appeared. And then the sound of gunfire rang out, causing Oswald and the boy to sit up in confusion.

"OSWALD NO!!!" Sophia screamed at the top of her lungs, watching in complete and utter horror as bullets rained down on Oswald and the child. Both of them fell back with a spray of blood. When the gunfire stopped, the only sounds Sophia could hear were her own screams. She shot up in bed as the dream ended, real screams erupting from her mouth as she struggled to come back to reality.

"Oh God... Oh God no..." She whimpered, both hands pressing against her stomach as she finally realized it was a dream. Oswald was still alive and so was her child. She was unable to go back to sleep after that so she curled up on her couch and turned on the news. That was where she stayed for the next 3 days. She was in a sort of haze, in and out of sleep, only getting off the couch for food or to use the bathroom. It was only after the nightmare tormented her for the fourth day straight that Sophia knew she needed to see Oswald again. She had discovered that the key he left her was the key to his family mansion, signifying that his door was always open for her. Gathering up her pride, Sophia made her way to his home that night, driving the near hour it took to get there. When she rang the doorbell, she was greeted by Gabe who offered her a smile.

"Hi Gabe... Is Oswald here?" She asked and Gabe nodded, inviting her in. She sat down in the living room, looking around in amazement at the mansion he lived in before she heard the familiar offbeat steps of the Penguin. He practically ran into the room, a huge smile on his face when he saw her. He'd dropped everything he was doing when Gabe told him she was here. He had been desperate to see her as well.

"Hello Sophia." Oswald sat beside her on his couch, taking her hand in his, "You've been well I assume?"

"Not exactly... I haven't really been able to sleep." His face furrowed with worry upon hearing this. However when she glanced over at him with tears in her eyes, he realized why she hadn't slept. He himself had shed those very same tears over too many sleepless nights of his own.

She was in love with him and she hated herself for it. Just like he had loved Ed so deeply only to end up regretting it later.

"I don't want to be scared anymore, Oswald. I don't want to live in constant fear that something or someone will take you away from me. I tried to stay away myself, I tried to forget you, but this," She took his hand and placed it on her stomach, "This helped me realize what I really felt." Her words cut him deep and he wished he could believe her. He had promised himself he would never fall in love again. Losing Ed was hard enough, but if something were to happen to her or their baby, he'd be lost to the void of darkness forever. Oswald didn't respond with words. The only way he could respond was by claiming her lips with his. Sophia gasped into his mouth, tears staining her cheeks as she kissed him harder. She tangled a hand in his hair and whimpered, becoming desperate to touch him.

"I love you, Oswald Cobblepot." She breathed, pulling him overtop of her as she lied down on the couch. Her hormones had been spiking as of late and to have him touching her again was outright addicting. Oswald refused to admit his feelings back but he wanted her in that moment just as much as she wanted him.

"Not out here... Bedroom, now." He whispered, practically hauling her to her feet and leading her to his bedroom. The second she closed the door behind her, Oswald pined her to the door and kissed her deeply. He shrugged off his jacket and pulled her top off as well, placing kisses to the tops of her breasts. She helped him unhook her bra and exposed her chest fully to him. He immediately took her breasts in his hands and squeezed, making her moan louder than normal.

"God! Se-sensitive!" Sophia gasped. Her entire body was on fire from his touches, her pregnancy enhancing all of her senses. She pushed him over towards the bed, kicking her jeans off and crawling onto the king sized bed.

"Take me Penguin, I need you." She proclaimed and he let out a growl, taking his pants off as quickly as he could before slowly sliding up her body and kissing her. Her hands tangled in his hair, immediately messing up any style he had, but he didn't care. He was hard as a rock and desperate to be inside her.

"Oh Sophia..." Oswald purred as he finally pushed inside, groaning loudly as she seemed even tighter than before. Sophia hooked her leg around his waist as he began thrusting into her. She stared up at him in awe, watching his gorgeous face contort with pleasure. She kissed him hard again, pressing her forehead against his as they panted into each others mouths Sophia reached between them and started playing with her clit, causing her to tighten even more around him. Both of them moaned in unison with Oswald gripping her hips harder as he pounded into her.

"Oswald! Oh fuck Oswald, please!" She begged, moving her fingers faster on her clit and trying to pick up the pace against him. It didn't take Oswald long to get the hint and he sped up the timing of his thrusts. He felt his orgasm creeping up his spine so he started kissing down her neck and chest before sucking on her breasts.

"OSWALD!!!" Sophia cried out his name as his attention to her sensitive breasts along with all the other sensations triggered her orgasm. She arched her back and squeezed her eyes shut as the pleasure was almost too intense for her body to handle. She rhythmically clenched and unclenched tightly around his cock, her hands moving to his freckled shoulders and digging her nails into his skin. The pain of her fingernails combined with the tight heat of her pussy practically forced him to cum. He groaned long and loudly as he dumped his thick cum into her, his cock twitching with every shit of his seed. He finally relaxed when the pleasure ceased, the look on his face making Sophia laugh quietly. Her hand reached up and caressed his cheek and Oswald immediately nuzzled into her touch. He smiled, leaning into her hand and kissing her palm.

"You're so beautiful, Oswald. Even after all you've done, I don't think I could ever leave you again... Especially not after the torture I put myself through when I was away from you." She admitted, placing a gentle kiss on his lips which he happily returned. Despite being calm and collected on the outside, Oswald was freaking out on the inside. He had promised himself that after what happened with Ed, he'd never let himself fall in love again. Yet here was this beautiful girl, this dark angel who wormed her way into his heart and made him feel something he hadn't allowed himself to feel for quite a while. She was also carrying his child and he still couldn't believe that was actually happening. He never thought he'd ever get the chance to be a father given his reputation and how women usually reacted upon seeing him.

But Sophia was different. She had heart. She had compassion. She had love. She had life. She had everything that Oswald himself didn't have. Maybe if he let her in, she could bestow some of her goodness on him and he could give her some of his darkness in return. The two of them could be morally grey together with all the power in the world. Their child would inherit everything Gotham had and Oswald wanted to make sure they knew that Gotham City would be theirs one day.

The two of them fell asleep in each others arms, the soft moonlight pouring over them through the window. Oswald swore there was no way he could be any happier, however, the horrifying nightmares that flickered through his mind shocked him back to reality. Visions of blood and death and pain danced behind his eyelids and forced him awake. He shot up in the bed, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes as he tried to wipe away the nightmares. After sitting there for a few moments, Oswald glanced over at the sleeping beauty beside him. She was too good for him. He didn't deserve her in any way yet here she was, in his bed with a lazy sleepy smile on her face. His eyes scanned down her naked body before falling upon her stomach. It was still early so there wasn't much, but he could clearly see her stomach beginning to round. He scooted downward in the bed so he was eye lever with her abdomen. One of his hands slowly started caressing her skin, amazed that he was able to make something so good and so pure. This child was untainted by his lies and his anger. It hadn't yet seen what he'd done to get where he was in life. This child wouldn't judge him for what he'd done. And that was what scared him the most. He knew he could easily corrupt the child to a point where it would lose all its light and its goodness. Even though he did want them to be like him, he still wanted them to have their own life. Oswald leaned in close and placed a gentle kiss to the rounding flesh of her body, his thumb stroking the skin just below her belly button.

"I know it's stupid of me to even pretend like you can hear me, but... I just want you to know that I will never let anything bad happen to you. I will take down anyone who dares to hurt you. If any kid is stupid enough to push you down for being different, they'll have me to deal with." Oswald whispered. It was his voice that woke Sophia, causing her to open one eye and look down at him. She had to stop herself from laughing as she heard what he was saying, her smile growing when he kissed her stomach again.

"You know they can't hear you yet right?" Sophia spoke up and Oswald's head shot up, a blush crossing his face in embarrassment.

"Of course I know that... You didn't see anything." Oswald moved away and rolled over, his back to her. Sophia laughed and shook her head, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hey I'm not judging you! I found it actually really adorable! After all, don't male penguins in the wild do most of the child rearing? You're just living up to your namesake by wanting to protect your chick." She teased, pressing a few kisses to his freckled shoulders.

"You're ridiculous." He shook his head and rolled over, kissing her and rubbing his hand down her neck.

"Oswald, I've been thinking... I want to get a new job and make my own income. I don't want to have to be strictly reliant on your money." She breathed, loving how he kissed down her neck. Unfortunately his kisses stopped as he processed her words.

"You're not going back to that strip club are you?" He asked nervously.

"Oswald, I'm pregnant. Even if I did go back, I'd be fired within a few months. I was just thinking like a simple waitress job or a menial job in retail. I do love you bit I don't think I could sit around and do nothing all day." Sophia explained and Oswald sighed.

"I just want you to be safe."

"I know you do and I want to be safe too. Luckily, no one really knows that we're together and if we can keep it that way, I think our baby will be safe as well." She told him, pressing her forehead against his, "I'm gonna go job hunting in the morning. Just promise me you'll stay out of it." She teased again, kissing his nose before cuddling into his chest and falling back to sleep. Oswald, meanwhile, was getting nervous. He knew she needed her own job as she was quite a free spirit but he also knew how dangerous Gotham could be. If she angered the wrong person, she could end up with a bullet between her perfect eyes. He was half tempted to force her into working for him back at the Iceberg Lounge, but that was potentially even more dangerous. However, it was in that moment that Oswald remembered something that Ed had told him.

" _Love is sacrifice. It is about putting someone else's happiness above your own."_

If he loved her, he would let her be happy by having her own independence, even if it made him worry more. Oswald kissed the top of her head before falling asleep as well, petting her hair as she cuddled up against his chest.


	10. When The Day Met The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME HOMOPHOBIC SLURS PLEASE BE AWARE!!! THE SLURS USED BY THE CHARACTERS DO NOT REPRESENT THE AUTHOR'S FEELINGS AT ALL NOR DO I CONDONE THE USAGE OF SAID SLURS!

When Sophia finally started looking for a job, she was shocked at how hard it was. She had been rejected by three places and had to wait nearly a week for each of them just to find out she didn't get the job. Luckily, just when she thought she wasn't going to find anything, she was hired by a traditional Irish restaurant. During her interview, the owner of the restaurant seemed rather sweet. An older Irish man who had only recently moved to Gotham, his name was Colin Sweeney and he'd made his fortune in his family's historical discoveries in Ireland.

"Well I'm very happy to have you onboard, Miss Lorenski. Now my question is if you're still going to be working here after your baby is born or if this is only temporary?" He asked, his eyes glancing down at her stomach. She was only 14 weeks by that point and normally she wore baggy clothes on a lazy day, but she wore a decent dress to the interview that showed off her baby bump.

"Oh... um... I'm hoping to only be staying until the baby gets here. The father is quite well off here in Gotham and he could easily provide for us. I only wanted a job so I could keep myself busy and actually do something with my free time." She admitted with a shrug. Sweeney quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

"So the father is in the picture then?" Sweeney asked, causing Sophia to raise her own eyebrow in response.

"Yeah, he definitely IS in the picture." She clarified. Sweeney nodded then before extending a hand to her.

"Well, he is certainly a very lucky man." Sophia took his hand and he shook it as well as kissing her knuckles. She was a bit creeped out but she knew she could easily handle him. She was just so excited about having a new job that she pushed his pervyness off to the side. When she came home later that day, as she had officially moved in with Oswald a week or two prior, Oswald asked her how the interview went the second she walked in the door.

"It went well actually. I start in two days. The guy was nice but he was rather touchy feely." She said, making Oswald defensive almost immediately.

"What do you mean touchy feely? Did he hurt you?!" He asked worriedly but she shook her head, taking his hand.

"No, no, nothing like that. He just asked me if the father of my child was in the picture and he kissed my knuckles and stuff like that." She explained and Oswald's hand gripped hers tighter.

"What was his name again?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Colin Sweeney... Oh God, Oswald, you're not gonna do anything insane are you? For fucks sake, he was just being nice, don't kill a man for flirting with me!" Sophia defended her new boss but Oswald didn't relax.

"Oh no, that's not why I'm angry now... Well it's part of it but it's not the main reason. Colin Sweeney. He's the leader of a massive Irish gang that just moved into town. His crew demolished three supply trucks I sent to my businesses. They murdered the drivers before stealing the merchandise and leaving their tag on the exploded trucks." Oswald snarled and Sophia's jaw dropped.

"I remember that, holy shit... Sweeney was behind that? Oh God, I need to quit!" 

"NO!" Oswald shouted and Sophia looked at him confused, "No, don't quit... This could actually be a very useful opportunity. If you work for him, you could listen in on his plans. You could find out what he's planning. And, if he likes you as much as it appears he does, you could also use that to your advantage." Sophia raised an eyebrow at his plan before a devious smile crossed her face. The wheels turned in her head as his plan started making sense to her. Manipulating men was what she was good at and if this man was hurting Oswald, she'd gladly hurt him back.

"The question is what do you want me to listen for?" She asked and Oswald smiled.

"Anything and everything. Where his money is going, any events he's going to, if he's planning on taking out any more of my trucks, anything." He specified and Sophia smirked.

"Alrighty then. Should be pretty easy. The man seems like quite the simpleton. I just need to angle these tits properly and use my baby girl voice and he'll be putty in my hands." She laughed, glad that one thing her pregnancy was doing was making her boobs bigger. Oswald was also very pleased with this new development, having found that squeezing them during sex was becoming his favorite thing ever.

Her first day at the restaurant went by smoothly with nothing really to report since she didn't even see him there. That's how things went for quite a while, nearly two months actually, until one day when she showed up to work only to find she was the only waitress in the place. She looked around for a moment, noticing the drastically reduced kitchen staff as well.

"Hey, what's the deal? Where is everybody?" Sophia asked one of the cooks.

"Mr. Sweeney is having a rather large business deal today and, apparently, we're the only staff he trusts with serving today." The cook replied and Sophia let out a huff before a small smirk crossed her face. She could finally put hers and Oswald's plans into motion. She stood off to the side as she watched Sweeney walk in with a rather large party. He had about 10 people with him, all of them sitting down and waiting for Sophia. She took a deep breath and approached the table, ready to take orders and take notes.

"Good evening gentlemen, my name is Sophia, how can I help you?" She said with a smile and she saw all the men looking her up and down like she was a piece of meat.

"Damn Sweeney, you found yourself a real beauty here. It's a shame she's already knocked up cuz I'd _l_ _ove_ to get my hands on her." One man said and Sophia locked her jaw, forcing a smile and holding herself back so she didn't punch him.

" _Oi,_ I'd keep your comments to yourself. Apparently the father is still around." Sweeney nudged his buddy before glancing back up at Sophia, "A round of Guinness for all of us to start with, darlin." He winked and Sophia nodded, heading to the kitchen while leaving the door cracked a bit so she could listen in on what they were saying.

"So, first things first, I believe The Penguin is onto us." Sweeney started and Sophia froze in the middle of pouring the drinks.

"Well that's what happens when you hire idiots who are too prideful and straight up leave our symbol at the robbery!" One man protested.

"I already punished them for it by making them pay for the damage Penguin's men did to our distillery on the edge of the city. They're not my main concern at this moment, however. My main worry is that my sources have informed me that Penguin has been beefing up his security as of late. The eyes we have on his mansion have also seen a woman frequenting the place. Since we're unable to get too close, we cannot identify the woman. My idea is to get our hands on her, get her to spill on Penguin, then force him to do our bidding with her in our grasp." Sophia felt her blood run cold upon hearing this. They knew about her but they didn't know it was her specifically. She needed to keep it that way as well as telling Oswald about the spies. She also knew she needed to get a wig and star wearing hats to obscure her face from his sources prying eyes. She walked back to the table with the drinks, trying to still her hands as her nerves were making her fingers tremble. She couldn't let them find out the woman was her.

"How could a man like Penguin even get a woman? I thought he was a complete and utter fag. I assumed that asshole was getting his own asshole pounded on a daily basis by that queer The Riddler." One man asked.

"I have no idea. Maybe she's just one of his maids or something. Should we really be focused on her?" Another man suggested.

"Oh she's not a maid. The clothes she wears are too nice, plus Penguin has been spotted making out with her against the front door. She's special to him. And, given the way he reacted to Galavan murdering his mother, his emotions are his weakness." Sweeney replied.

"Maybe she's just a hooker?" Sophia spoke up and the men turned to look at her, "If she's been dressed fancy and kissing him, maybe he paid for her since that's probably the only way the poor dickhead can get laid." She suggested and Sweeney raised an eyebrow.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop, my dear." Sweeney started, "However, you seem to know something about The Penguin. If you have anything to say, say it now."

"All I know is that messing with him is a bad idea. Anyone that tries anything at all is going to end up with a bullet in their brain. He's dangerous. I'd stop your endeavors and save yourself the trouble if I were you." She tried to convince them to leave him be. She couldn't let them hurt him. Sweeney, however, laughed and shook his head.

"Oh darlin, this man has been trouble since we got here. He thinks he's the big bad king of this city, but this little prick needs to be put in his place. And, from what I hear, it almost sounds like you care about him." He mused jokingly and Sophia paled.

"Why the hell would I care about him? I've never even met him! Plus he's a murderer! I've never even really thought about him until tonight and when I occasionally see his face on the news." She said, putting down a basket of bread on the table. She hoped the Irishman was dumb enough to let it go, to not suspect anything, but the way he looked her up and down made her nervous.

"Good point, Sophia." Sweeney murmured, giving her a fake smile as he had immediately picked up on something. The way she spoke of the Penguin sounded like someone who was worried, like she was worried they would hurt the Penguin. In addition, the woman his spies had seen leaving Oswald's house had blonde curly hair like Sophia. He knew that when Sophia got off work, he'd have to have someone follow her. If she was this mystery woman, the child she was carrying was most likely the Penguin's as well. And if Sweeney could get his hands on the Penguin's child, well... He'd have the man right where he wanted him,


	11. Emperor's New Clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up this chapter picks up directly after the end of the last one!

Sophia felt nauseous as she could tell Sweeney knew something. She knew she had royally fucked up and put herself in danger. Once she had the chance to get somewhere secret, she immediately called Oswald. When he picked up, she started nervously playing with her hair.

"Ozzy, I um.... I fucked up-" She started but Oswald cut her off.

"What happened? What's wrong?"

"They're onto me. He has spies outside the mansion watching us and he's seen me coming in and out. They don't know it's me but I feel like he has a suspicion." She whispered, her voice quivering with nerves, "They want to get their hands on me to get to you." Oswald, meanwhile, had an almost painful grip on his phone. This was his fault. He'd sent his girl right into the lion's den without even thinking about her safety. That was his problem; he was so focused on himself that he didn't even consider her safety at all.

"Stay there. Try not to incriminate yourself more than you already have. I'll be there in a little bit." 

"Wait! Ozzy no don't! They'll kill you the second you step through the door!" Sophia protested but Oswald had already hung up. She was terrified. Either she was going to get hurt or he was and she had to stop herself from crying. After taking a deep breath and going back out to the dining room with more drinks and food, she said nothing but kept her eyes on the door the whole time.

And when the door finally slammed open, she didn't jump in surprise like everyone else. Oswald and Ed were standing there with shotguns while Gabe and a few other men behind them had machine guns.

"Colin Sweeney!" Oswald shouted, limping into the restaurant with Ed in tow. He briefly glanced over at Sophia who immediately backed against a wall, hoping Sweeney would ignore her, "I've heard you've been spying on me? You know you could've just been polite and talked to me yourself rather than being a coward who hides behind others." Oswald smirked and Sweeney chuckled. 

"Oh I ain't no coward! I only use spies because it gets me vital information quicker. For example, I know from my men that you were in love with this tall green bean for a while. I wonder what happened there? Maybe he realized he wasn't a dirty, ugly, faggot like you and rejected you? And then you tried to cure your gayness by hiring a whore?" Sweeney mused, his words cutting Oswald deep. He immediately stepped right up to Sweeney, getting in his face. It took every ounce of strength Oswald had not to just shoot Sweeney's head off. But it was the sound of Sophia's whimper that gave him an idea. Not only would it take the suspicion off her but, if Sweeney had the hots for Sophia, Oswald could use that to his advantage.

"You. Come over here." Oswald pointed at Sophia who stared back in mock fear. Oswald gestured to Ed who grabbed Sophia and dragged her to Oswald's side, "You're one to talk about hiring whores. Do you know who she is? She used to work for Big Dinero. She was one of his best until she got herself knocked up it seems." He gave her an apologetic look and Sophia understood. He was only bringing up her past to save them both. Sweeney looked at Sophia in shock. She had never told him about her past and she hadn't planned on it until Oswald brought it up.

"Sophia... I.... I'm so sorry... Is Big Dinero...?"

"Yes... Yes he is." Sophia lied, understanding Sweeney's unspoken question about her child's father. She couldn't give the truth out freely. If she ever let it slip that Oswald was the father, all three of them could be in even more danger than they already were. Unfortunately, Sweeney was far smarter than he was ever given credit for. When Sophia told him that Big Dinero was the father, he immediately knew she was lying. For starters, he hadn't told anyone that he had spies watching Oswald's mansion until that night. There was no way Penguin could've found out about the spies unless someone at the meeting told him. And everyone there hated the Penguin.

Except for Sophia it seemed...

Sweeney could see the way Oswald watched her with worry, the way he made sure it seemed he didn't know her. He could tell Oswald cared about her. Just given the way Oswald cringed when Sophia lied about her child's father led Sweeney to believe that Oswald was the true father of Sophia's child. But right then, Sweeney didn't want Penguin to know that he knew. He had to wait. He had to take her at the right moment. He wanted Oswald to feel safe before he used her life to bargain. 

"Just let her go, Penguin. She's going to be a mother, don't hurt her." Sweeney whispered and Oswald smirked, believing his plan had worked. He nodded at Ed who let Sophia go. The young woman ran to Sweeney and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. Oswald internally cringed upon seeing the woman he  _loved_ in another man's arms.

And that's when he realized it. That's when he finally admitted to himself that he was in love with her. He couldn't let anyone hurt her, even if it meant his own destruction, he  _couldn't_ let any harm come to her or their child.

"How about we cut a deal, Sweeney? You take your spies off my property and I'll stop blowing up your stuff." Penguin said with a shrug and Sweeney let out a sigh before nodding, lovingly petting Sophia's back as Oswald smiled, "Good... Pleasure doing business with you." Oswald said and left with his men in tow. Sophia was in tears against Sweeney, looking up at him with her beautiful green eyes full of sorrow.

"Thank you, Mr. Sweeney, thank you so much! You saved my life and the life of my child." She said with a shaky voice, doing her best to make him believe her fear. After all, she was afraid that he would eventually find out about her and Oswald, so she just used that real fear only in a different situation.

"It's no trouble at all. Penguin just needs to learn his place. Plus I would never let anything bad happen to you. I care about you too much... Which is why I want you to go home. I asked for a spare waitress just in case since you're pregnant and something could happen at any moment. Go home and relax, all this stress isn't good for the baby." Sweeney muttered with a seemingly genuine smile that Sophia easily believed.

"Again, Mr. Sweeney, I really appreciate this." She said and hugged him one last time before collecting her things and leaving. However, unbeknownst to her, Sweeney called over one of his men with a dark smirk on his face.

"Follow her. Stay out of her sight but see if she takes the road to Penguin's mansion. I need to know for sure that she's with him." The man nodded and headed out as well. Sadly for him, Sophia and Oswald weren't completely stupid. When Sophia left the restaurant she texted Oswald that Sweeney let her off and Oswald told her to go to his safe house as if it were her apartment and he'd meet her there. Sophia knew Sweeney would send someone to follow her so this was the best idea to protect all of them. Every so often, Sophia glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted the man trailing her and she smiled to herself. She desperately hoped this plan would work as she didn't want to be away from Oswald for too long.

When she finally made it to the safe house, Oswald was already there. She exited the car and didn't look back when the car trailing her drove right past the apartment. She knew their plan had worked, atleast for that moment. She knocked on the door and Gabe opened it. The second she saw Oswald behind him, she ran to him. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She sobbed against him as he tried to console her, lovingly stroking her hair and holding her tightly.

"You're ok... you're safe now... It's ok." Oswald whispered, his own body trembling with fear. He had been just as worried as she that Sweeney knew something. He was desperate to keep her safe. He had learned his lesson about love with Ed. He'd do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant his own death.

"What do we do now, Oswald? He's onto us. He'll do whatever he can to hurt you, even if that mean's killing me...  _Especially_ if that means killing me." She breathed and Oswald just helped her into the bedroom, sitting her down on the bed before handing her a hot cup of tea.

"We'll figure it out. We'll get this whole thing sorted out, I promise." Oswald, meanwhile, was thinking of all the numerous ways he could torture and murder Sweeney. But he knew Sophia might never forgive him for that, especially given her reaction to his murder of Big Dinero. 

Sophia took a sip of her tea once she had finally calmed down, letting out a deep breath and looking over at Oswald. She said nothing but her expression spoke volumes. She was in love with him but she was scared shitless. She knew loving him was dangerous but she did it anyway. And Oswald knew that terror far too well. Even then, Oswald was still in love with Ed. He didn't think he could ever NOT love him. Ed was the first one who saw him for who he truly was other than his mother. He and Ed shared a deep bond that could never be broken.

And then there was the bond he shared with Sophia. It was much like what he felt for Ed, but different in many ways as well. She saw him for who he was, she trusted him (despite a rocky start), she actually loved him  _BACK,_ and she was carrying his child. What Oswald felt for Sophia was far more passionate than what he felt for Ed. He had been sexually attracted to Ed, yes, but Ed never returned his affections so Oswald resigned himself to being continually sexually frustrated by the man... Atleast until Sophia came around. She came into his life in a ball of pure, raw, sexual energy which was something he needed. At first, his feelings for her were purely sexual. He hadn't even wanted an emotional connection with her, atleast not until she slept over at his place. When he had her cuddled in his arms with his face pressed against her back, Oswald realized he wanted something more with her.

Little did he know he'd end up not only falling in love with her, but also becoming a father in the process.

Oswald sat beside her in silence as she slowly collected herself. His eyes, however, kept getting drawn to her belly. In her work uniform, her stomach was clearly visible to him and it still shocked him that this was actually happening. Oswald couldn't stop himself from reaching over and putting his  hand on her abdomen. Sophia sat up straight, confused that he would even attempt such an intimate gesture, yet here they were.

"Oswald?" She whispered, noticing the soft yet amazed expression on his face.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you two. I'm already so damaged as it is, if anything happened to you two, I'd probably end up back in Arkham." Oswald's voice trembled and he let out a small laugh when Sophia put her hand on top of his.

"You won't lose us, Oswald. You're the king of Gotham's underworld. No matter how much danger we could be in, your strength and your power will always bring us out of it." She explained. Oswald scooted closer and smiled at her, his free hand lazily petting her arm.

"I wonder if they'll look like you. God I hope they look like you, maybe then other kids won't be so cruel." He mused.

"Why shouldn't they look like you, Ozzy? You're beautiful. I wonder if they'll have your amazing bone structure, which includes that perfect nose of yours." Sophia replied, causing Oswald to snort his displeasure.

"If our child got my nose, I'd gladly pay for plastic surgery to get rid of it." He chuckled. Sophia rolled her eyes and shook her head, putting her tea down, and leaning over to kiss him gently.

And that's when she felt it.

On the far left side of her stomach, she felt something akin to butterflies fluttering around inside her. Something pushed out from the inside and she let out a gasp of surprise. Her other hand immediately fled to that side of her belly, hoping it would happen again.

"Sophia? Sophia what is it? Is something wrong?!" Oswald asked worriedly, his eyes widening with fear. Sophia said nothing, only moving his hand to the spot that she felt movement. Both of them remained silent for a few seconds before the fluttering was felt again by both of them. The life inside her pressed against Oswald's palm, not too hard, but hard enough for him to feel it. Oswald gasped as well, surprised by the sudden feeling under his hand. There just beneath clothing, skin, and muscle, was his child. Sophia laughed and smiled, tears of joy bubbling in her eyes again at the strange feeling.

"Oh my God..." She breathed, pressing Oswald's hand harder against her skin.

"Oh my God is right." He laughed. Sophia pressed her forehead against his and her free hand stroked his cheek.

"I love you, Oswald." She murmured and Oswald let out a gentle sigh.

"I love you too, Sophia." He kissed her again, feeling their child moving underneath his hand as he deepened the kiss. Sophia moaned into his mouth then as she had been getting rather desperate as of late. Her pregnancy had started to make her hornier than normal, plus she and Oswald hadn't really had the time for such endeavors due to his work. However, neither of them were busy in that moment and Sophia needed him to an almost insane degree. She shrugged off her sweater and continued to kiss him, pushing off his jacket as well. When Oswald started kissing down her neck, Sophia let out an obscene moan before swallowing dryly. Worry began to flicker across her mind. What if he was disgusted in her body? Would he still want her like this? Oswald could practically sense her nerves and he pulled back, putting a hand on the side of her face and making her look at him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, nearly panting with desire.

"I just... I'm worried you won't want me like this... That you're only doing this to please me while you're really disgusted with me on the inside." She rambled and Oswald chuckled, shaking his head. He took her hand and pressed it against the throbbing bulge in his pants.

"Does this feel like I don't want you?" He teased. Sophia smiled then before kissing him once more and pushing him onto his back. She pulled off the rest of her dress and started unbuttoning Oswald's shirt but Oswald himself was silent, staring in amazement at her breasts. They were definitely larger than they used to be. He sat up and unhooked her bra, his hands squeezing her swollen chest.

" _MMMPH,_ fuck Oswald, be careful! I'm really sensitive!" Sophia warned and Oswald nodded, taking that knowledge and putting it to good use by reaching down and pressingly firmly on her clit. The sudden touch made a shiver run up her spine and she cried out, rolling her hips as best she could with her belly jutting out in front of her. She did her best to undo Oswald's pants while he was playing with her, but she was faltering because Oswald had started sucking on her sensitive breasts all while tweaking her clit. All the different sensations were hitting her at once and she felt like she couldn't catch her breath as she went crashing over the edge, her orgasm overtaking her all while Oswald still had his pants on. Oswald, meanwhile, was chuckling at how she was responding to his touches. That was part of what he loved about her: she was always so responsive.

"God..." She breathed, finally coming back to herself as she started to try and get his pants undone. Oswald stopped her, kissing her neck and pushing her off of him slightly so he could get his pants off properly. He groaned when his cock was finally freed, staring into Sophia's eyes as she crawled atop him once more. She took him in hand and stroked him for a moment before lining him up and sinking down fully onto him. She was so unbelievably tight that Oswald let out a moan he didn't even think he was capable of. The two of them sat there for a moment, both of them trying to adjust to the intense sensations, before Sophia made the first move. She rolled her hips forward, stifling the noises that wanted to tear from her throat. Oswald laughed in response, timing his thrusts with her movements to make those beautiful sounds spill forth from her mouth. He grabbed her hips and really started giving it to her, watching with fascination as her tits bounced with every thrust.

"God, you're so beautiful like this. You're like a goddess of fertility." He grunted out, feeling her inner walls clench and pull around him even harder than before. He reached underneath her and pressed her clit hard, rolling it under his fingertips. Sophia cried out and threw her head back, his actions driving her insane.

"Oswald, oh Oswald, I'm gonna-!"

"C'mon Sophia, cum for me!" He demanded and Sophia broke apart on top of him. Her entire body tensed with the peak of her pleasure, her inner walls squeezing impossibly hard around his cock. He quickly followed behind her, his orgasm taking over him almost by surprise. He didn't stop moving until both of them were completely sated and out of breath. They sat together silently with her hands on his chest as she looked down at him. His hand lovingly caressed her belly and he gave her a gentle smile.

"I never thought I'd be able to love again after Ed. Hell, I froze him in a giant block of ice in an attempt to make him a reminder to me NOT to fall in love. But as Ed once said, the heart keeps its own time." He smirked and Sophia hummed happily, rolling off him and onto her side. He rolled over to face her as she stroked his cheek.

"You're deserving of this, you know... Even though you've done some absolutely horrendous things, you deserve to be loved. Everyone does, no matter how evil they may be. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for the whole thing with Big Dinero, but I know that's just who you are. You're a violent man who goes to the extreme for those he cares about." Her words punched Oswald in the chest with their honest. It hurt that she'd never forgive him for the murder of her former pimp, but she understood him and that's what mattered to him. She trusted him and he trusted her back... And trust was nearly impossible to find in Gotham since basically everyone was waiting for their friend to turn around so they could stab them in the back. Regardless, Oswald knew he trusted her with his life and he just hoped she wouldn't betray him.


	12. I Wanna Be Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place directly after the end of last chapter!

The two of them spent the night in the safe house with Sophia wrapped in Oswald's arms practically the entire night. When the sun finally rose high in the sky, she unwillingly removed herself from his embrace to use the bathroom before returning to find him already getting dressed.

"You can't stay a little longer?" She asked and Oswald sighed.

"I have business to attend to, my dear. I have to talk to Zsasz about a deal that went south." 

"But do you have to go  _now?_ Can't you stay another 10 minutes?" She whimpered, walking over and hugging him from behind.

"Yes, I do have to leave now. This is very important and I'd appreciate if you respected that." He huffed out bitterly and Sophia immediately stepped back. She got herself dressed and made some breakfast all while he fixed himself and prepared for whatever meeting he was going to. She sat in the kitchen munching on some toast when he walked past, kissing the top of her head, and leaving without a word. She let out a heavy sigh when he left, still trying to figure out what exactly their relationship was.

Meanwhile across town, Oswald just arrived back at his office where Ed and Victor Zsasz were waiting.

"Is he here?" Oswald asked and Ed nodded.

"He was surprisingly easy to follow, like I'm amazed he's Sweeney's right hand man." Ed said with a laugh, adjusting his glasses.

"Has he said anything yet, Victor?"

"Not much. He's said some business stuff but nothing you've been wanting to hear." Zsasz replied. His unsatisfactory answer made Oswald let out a huff of annoyance, deciding to go in the room himself. There, strapped to a chair and heavily beaten, was Sweeney's second in command Edgar O' Shaughnessy. Oswald approached him, taking the gag out of his mouth, and sticking the end of his cane directly against his chest.

"Hey there Edgar. So my associates have informed me that you aren't exactly saying the right things." Oswald pushed the cane harder against his skin and Edgar groaned in pain, "You're close to Sweeney, he tells you everything he's planning. I saw you at the dinner he held last night and I want to know what exactly is his affiliation with that pretty waitress of his? Does he have any plans for her or does he plan on using her to try and get to me?" Oswald asked and Edgar blinked for a moment before laughing.

"So Sweeney was right then, you DO care for her. And let me guess, her child is yours? Ohh this news will definitely get me a raise!" He smirked. Oswald, however, quickly wiped the smile off his face when he bitch slapped him.

"What is he going to do with her?!" Oswald snarled, pulling the knife from the handle of his cane and pressing the blade against his groin, "You better tell me the truth or I'll make a eunuch out of you!" He spat and Edgar's eyes widened, realizing what he was threatening.

"FUCK! Fuck man, ok, alright! He's planning on kidnapping her and blackmailing you with her as a hostage!" Edgar caved and Oswald felt something akin to a dagger in his chest. It was Theo Galavan and his mother all over again.

"Where is he planning on taking her?!"

"I don't know man! That's the one thing he didn't tell me!" He whimpered and Oswald growled as he could tell the man was telling the truth.

"Thank you for your helpful information, Edgar." Oswald murmured before shooting the man between his eyes, blasting his brains all over the back wall. Zsasz and Ed walked in soon after and Oswald ran both hands through his hair. "Take the body and do whatever you want with it. Sweeney will realize he's dead sooner or later." He then whipped out his phone and called Sophia, desperately hoping that she would pick up.

"Hello Penguin..." The thick Irish accented voice on the other end of the line made him feel nauseous.

"If you touch her, I'll rip your skin off with a vegetable peeler!" He snarled and Sweeney just cackled.

"Oh please, I've been touching her for the past ten minutes!" He said with a smirk, glancing over at Sophia who was passed out on the metal table beside him. "So here's what's gonna happen Penguin, you're going to withdraw all your stakes in your businesses and transfer them to me. You're also going to give me the deed to the Iceberg Lounge. Only then will I give her back in one piece." His words cut like a knife. If he did what he asked, Oswald would be ruined, but if he didn't, he didn't know what Sweeney would do to Sophia and their child. Normally, he'd be able to find them himself but Sweeney was a tricky bastard. He was unlike any enemy he faced before. If Oswald tried to sneak up on him without backup, he'd do something unimaginable in retaliation. Oswald needed help, and the only person he could think of to help at that moment was Jim Gordon. Luckily, the cop already owed him a favor.

"Tell me where you are so I can bring you the deed." Oswald hissed.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, that's not how this is going to work. You're going to do everything I ask of you and then bring the keys to my restaurant and put them on the hostess's podium. Then you'll drive back to the Iceberg Lounge where we will give you back your painted whore." Sweeney hung up then and Oswald stood there frozen for a moment. He threw his phone at the wall, letting out an agonizing scream before turning back to his men.

"We're going to the GCPD. Someone there owes me a favor."

* * *

 

The last thing Sophia remembered was opening the door to leave the safe house before a tall red haired man covered her mouth with a cloth and held her tight. She struggled against him for a few moments before everything went black. When she woke up, she was strapped to a cold metal table with a bright light overhead. She started to panic, looking around fearfully as she tried to determine where the hell she was.

"You know I don't appreciate being lied to, Sophia." Sweeney spoke up and Sophia tensed. She knew she had been caught and it made her feel sick to her stomach. "Is your name even really Sophia Lorenski? After all, you lied to me about who the father of your child was in addition to claiming you didn't know Penguin at all." Sweeney walked over and put both his hands on either side of her head, staring into her eyes. "I thought you were beautiful, you know. I had thought about trying to find a way to take your child's father out of the picture. I wanted to seduce you, to love you, to be a good father to your child... But then you lied to me. You told me the father was a dead abusive pimp and you made me feel for you. You never told me that the truth was worse than fiction. The Penguin is the father of your child. God, a beauty like you actually fucked the Penguin?! How the actual fuck does that work? Maybe he did actually pay you for sex, after all, that's probably how a scrawny piece of shit like him could ever get laid." Sweeney then put a hand on her belly, rubbing it gently and Sophia growled against the gag in her mouth. She struggled, trying to get free of her bonds but that only made them tighter.

"I should just kill his baby anyway. I should rid this world of that freak's spawn and end his bloodline completely. After all, I only promised to return  **YOU** to him unharmed. I never said anything about the baby." Sweeney smirked to himself and tears formed in her eyes, "I think I'll do that later, give him a little more time and some hope. Giving someone the slightest bit of hope before destroying it completely is so much more satisfying." He murmured before putting the chloroform rag over her nose and mouth once more, knocking her out cold.

* * *

 

"GORDON!!" Oswald screamed as he walked into the GCPD with Zsasz and Ed in tow. Jim was talking with Harvey about a case when he heard the Penguin screeching out his name. He turned and looked at the man, a bit confused at the tears staining his cheeks.

"Penguin, you can't just come barging in here like that. What the hell do you want?"

"Colin Sweeney kidnapped the mother of my child and I need your help to get her back. I'm only coming to you because I'm desperate, ok? I don't know where he has her and I need you to trace the cell phone he spoke to me on." Oswald said bluntly and Jim stared in surprise. Harvey let out a laugh, crossing his arms and watching in awe.

"Since when would any woman want to have sex with you to the point of carrying your child?" Harvey asked and Jim turned around to glare at him. Normally he'd be just as shocked but because she was pregnant, this was a situation to be taken very seriously.

"Give me your phone, I'll start a trace on it. Once we get a location, we'll back you up to rescue her." Jim said and Oswald reluctantly handed over his phone to one of the tech guys who would trace the call. Jim couldn't stop watching in amazement at how genuinely concerned and scared Oswald seemed.

"How long have you known her?" He asked and Oswald started nervously biting his nails.

"Does that really matter, Detective Gordon? If he's hurt her or my baby, I'll flay him alive and strangle him with his own intestines! He deserves to die for just touching her!" He was rambling, pacing frantically as he was terrified of what Sweeney would do to her. Unfortunately, he knew this would happen sooner or later. He knew his affiliation with her would get her hurt or even killed. He knew all of this would happen yet he let himself love her anyway. Jim, meanwhile, was still confused over the whole situation. Not only was he amazed that Oswald managed to find a woman that would love him back, but also that Colin Sweeney would kidnap her in the first place. To his knowledge, Colin Sweeney was a simple businessman who only recently set up shop in Gotham. He had no idea of the true power and dominion Sweeney held over the city.

"Why would Sweeney take her? What did you do to him that would make him want to come after you?" Harvey asked, just as confused as Jim about the whole thing.

"Why do you automatically assume it's something I did?! Sweeney moved in and started trying to take my businesses and my money out from under me. Every time I told him to get lost, he just became more and more violent! I tried to play nice, I tried to be diplomatic, but he kept trying to overthrow me. I had the upper hand until..." Oswald stopped, his mind coming back to his fear that Sweeney was hurting Sophia.

"Until you fell in love..." Jim finished his statement. He knew the pain Oswald was feeling in that moment. He himself had experienced it far too often. No matter how much he hated Penguin, he knew that if he was in this situation and Lee was kidnapped, he'd be desperate to get her back as well.

"Detective Gordon, we got a lock on where that call came from, an abandoned warehouse a few blocks east of Sweeney's restaurant." The tech guy said and Oswald snatched his phone back. Because Jim owed him a favor as well as the fact that it was someone innocent in danger, Jim and Harvey took a few other cops with them as Oswald led the charge to the warehouse. They parked about a block away since Sweeney's men were probably watching. Oswald, however, ignored Jim's cries for him to stay put as he ran into the warehouse guns blazing.

"SWEENEY!! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOU COWARD!?!?" Oswald screamed. Sweeney looked up when he heard the man's voice, surprised by the fact that he was able to find him so quickly. Sophia had just woken up from her chloroform induced unconsciousness and was trying her best to scream through the gag.

"C'mon you little bitch. You're gonna be my shield against your petty boyfriend." Sweeney yanked off her bonds and pulled her off the table before she spit the gag out at him.

" **OSWALD!!! OSWALD!!!!"** Sophia screamed but Sweeney held her tight and covered her mouth with his massive hand. He walked out with her, moving his hand off her mouth to point his gun at her skull. They walked into the main portion of the warehouse where Oswald and the cops had gathered and Sweeney practically cackled.

"Oh my God, do you really think the cops are going to change this situation at all? My deal still stands, Penguin. You give me all your businesses, I give you back your girl." He explained and Sophia kept struggling, using all her strength to step on his foot as hard as she could. He let out a grunt of pain but didn't release her, pushing his gun harder against her head.

"Let her go, Sweeney!" Jim shouted.

"Or what?! You'll shoot me? You shoot me, you'll shoot her!" Oswald then took a few wobbly steps forward, his eyes meeting Sweeney's as he tried to avoid Sophia's gaze.

"I'm the one you want. Let her go and we can talk this out on our own." Oswald tried to reason with him but Sweeney was having none of it.

"Oh no, no... I don't want to just hurt you. I want to  _ **destroy you."**_ Sweeney moved his gun lower and pressed the muzzle against her belly.

"SWEENEY KILL ME BUT LEAVE MY BABY ALIVE, PLEASE!" Sophia begged, knowing that even if she was dead, their child would have a minuscule possibility of survival. Oswald remained silent for a moment, doing his best to stall with silence since he'd had the cops lead Zsasz to the back entrance as a backup plan.

"What's your decision, Penguin?" Sweeney muttered, his nails digging into Sophia's wrists as he held her arms behind her back.

"I think I'd rather go with option C." Oswald whispered as Victor Zsasz snuck up behind him and put his gun to Sweeney's head.

"Bye bye Mr. Leprechaun!" Zsasz said gleefully before pulling the trigger, blasting Sweeney's brains all over Sophia. She screamed in surprise from the blood and the gunshot, collapsing to the floor when Sweeney fell. Oswald immediately ran to her side and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her temple as she sobbed against him.

"It's ok, it's ok, I'm here... It's all over." He whispered to her, stroking her hair soothingly. Unfortunately, they only had a few seconds of relief before Sweeney's remaining men came running in upon hearing the gunshot. They opened fire on the cops as well as Oswald and Sophia. Luckily Jim, Harvey, and the rest of the cops had better aim, taking down most of Sweeney's men as Oswald helped Sophia to her feet and took off running with her. The two of them managed to make it out of the warehouse alive and Sophia clung to Oswald tightly once outside.

"I got you, my darling, you're safe now..." He breathed in her ear. She sobbed and nuzzled into his shoulder, overwhelmed with emotion. However, once she started to calm down and the adrenaline began to wear off, a stabbing pain radiated through her left side. She pulled back from Oswald, noticing blood on his suit and her shirt.

"Oh God..." She gasped, pressing her hand against the left side of her belly where the pain was coming from. Her hand came back bloody and terror pulsed through her veins. Oswald's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the blood, his mind running at a million miles an hour as he thought of all the horrible things that could've happened to his baby. 

"Oswald..." Sophia muttered before darkness overtook her and she collapsed into his arms once more.

"No, no, no, no, NO!!! SOMEONE HELP!!! GODDAMMIT SOMEONE CALL 911!!!" Oswald screamed, his cries being heard almost all the way down the street. Harvey was the first one outside after hearing Oswald's screams.

"Shit!" Harvey immediately whipped out his phone and called an ambulance, keeping his eyes on the pair of them to make sure she was still breathing.

"You're gonna be ok, I promise, you're gonna be ok, just stay with me Sophia, please!" Oswald begged, cradling her body and rocking her back and forth until the ambulance finally arrived.


	13. The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage

When Sophia finally regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was the horrible pain in her side. The next thing she heard was Oswald's gasp of relief when she awoke.

"Oh thank God!" Oswald exclaimed, kissing her hand as he had been sitting by her side in the hospital.

"Oswald? What... where...?" She stammered for a moment before remembering what happened. Her eyes widened and she sat up with a gasp, both her hands flying to her belly to make sure she was still pregnant.

"Hey, calm down, he's ok! The bullet missed him by a long shot." He said shakily. Sophia, however, froze in place when she realized what he said.

"Wait... did you say  _he?_ We're having a son?" She said with a huge smile on her face. Oswald laughed quietly and nodded, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"Yeah... we're having a son." He replied and Sophia laughed loudly, looking down at her belly for a moment before glancing back at Oswald. However, guilt suddenly began to flood her and her smile faded.

"This was all my fault, Ozzy. I put our son in danger. I got too close to Sweeney and I got burned. I opened my big mouth too wide and nearly ruined it all!" She whimpered, shaking her head, "I know we planned on spying on him, but I got myself captured by listening in too closely on one meeting. I thought I was invincible, but clearly, that's not the case." Her voice trembled and Oswald scooted closer, holding her hand with both of his.

"Hey, don't get yourself all worked up. We all make mistakes. Hell, I was in your exact situation after Fish tried to have me killed. I fell into a deep depression before I was brought back up by the need for revenge. I can help you get your revenge if that's what you wish, otherwise I'm going to make them pay regardless." Oswald hissed. He was so furious over the whole thing. They hurt her and nearly killed his son. He was going to destroy everything Sweeney's men held dear. Even though he was dead, Sweeney still held a strong presence in Gotham and Oswald wanted to tear it down.

"Just promise me one thing. Don't kill anyone unless it's for self defense." She said firmly and Oswald blinked in surprise.

"You can't expect me to do that! If they deserve it, they're going to die!" He protested. He was absolutely shocked that she would ask him that, especially since she knew who he was.

"You said you wanted to destroy his legacy. Does that involve murder or can you get your message across with torture and sabotage alone?" Sophia knew exactly who Penguin was and what he did to get where he was. However, if she could help him keep his body count low, she would try her hardest to do so. Oswald let out a sih, knowing what she was doing and for once, he was inclined to follow her words.

"Fine... I won't kill anyone if I don't have to. As long as that makes you happy."

"Yes, yes it does. It makes me very happy." She replied with a smile. She leaned over and kissed him, taking one of his hands and putting it on her belly where their son was moving, "I hope he ends up looking like you." 

"I'm just praying he doesn't get my nose. I was teased about that more than anything else in school." Oswald pressed his forehead against hers and sighed heavily. He was so terrified of losing her that he worried he would awaken to realize this was a dream and that she was actually dead. "Just know I'm going to keep security on you at all times when you go out now." He admitted. Despite how much Sophia hated the idea, she knew she might actually need it in the future if Oswald was genuinely planning on taking down Sweeney's empire.

"I understand..."

* * *

 

Sophia was kept in observation for a few more days before she was released from the hospital. The first thing she did upon returning to the mansion was flopping down on their bed and stretching. She had been so exhausted from the insane series of events that occurred that she practically passed out the second her head hit the pillow. Oswald peeked in from the hallway and saw her curled up on the bed and he smiled. In his eyes, she was so unbelievably beautiful that he couldn't understand why she would ever want him. Despite his fears, his intense need to protect her started to consume him. He assigned Zsasz to be her main bodyguard as he trusted him to protect her as long as he kept paying him. He also upped the external security on the mansion, making sure that no one could enter unless he allowed them.

Oswald also came up with a darker, more demented idea to keep her safe. He never wanted to feel the same fear he had when he couldn't find her after Sweeney took her. He felt helpless enough to the point that he was forced to go to Jim Gordon for assistance. He hated feeling vulnerable so he limped down to Ed's workshop, finding the man flicking through some paperwork before he knocked on the door. Ed looked up at the sound, a gentle smile on his face.

"How is she?" Ed asked.

"She's comfortable. I have Zsasz watching her door. And I actually need you to build something for me." Oswald walked over and sat down beside him.

"What do you need?"

"I need a tracking device. I need you to make a tracker that is both strong and as small as possible." Ed quirked an eyebrow and let out a quiet laugh at his request.

"You want me to make a tracker for Sophia? Do you not trust her on her own?"

"It's not that, I do trust her. It's everyone else I don't trust. I only barely managed to save them last time. Had Zsasz gotten in any later and she could've been dead. I don't want to worry that someone has taken her ever again."

"Even for you, that seems a little extreme. Don't you think a bodyguard would work just as well?"

"They probably would except for the fact that they are human and could easily be swayed to betray me with money or other means. This is the only way my nerves will be soothed. Please Ed, just do this one thing for me!" Oswald practically begged and Ed sighed. After tossing the idea around in his mind for a bit, he finally nodded in agreement.

"Ok, I'll build your tracker. But I would suggest something that she could wear rather than an implant. Maybe I could put the tracker in a ring or a necklace?" Ed suggested and Oswald smiled as an idea popped into his head.

"Make it a ring. I have an idea that'll make her always keep it on her person. Thank you so much, Ed." Oswald patted his friend on the shoulder before leaving him to his work. Ed quickly designed a small emerald and diamond ring, using jewels from Oswald's stash and managing to sneak Sophia's ring size by asking her to hold something for him. He placed the tracker inside the emerald and linked it to a remote tablet that could pinpoint the wearers location within a 500 mile radius. Once the ring was finished, Ed presented it to Oswald who was more than delighted to see the final results.

"You're not planning on proposing to her are you?" Ed asked nervously. Even though he had grown to like Sophia, he was still bitter about how special her relationship was with Oswald.

"No, God no... atleast not yet anyway. I'm just going to tell her it was my mothers and that she wanted me to give it to the person I love with my whole heart." Oswald explained, taking the ring and examining it before hugging Ed tightly, "Thank you, Ed. You really are the best friend I could've ever asked for." Oswald then pulled away and started making his way to the library where Sophia was engrossed in a particularly good book. He couldn't stop smiling at the sight of her balancing the book on her pregnant stomach.

"Oh Sophia, I have a present for you my darling." He purred, sitting beside her on the soft couch, taking her right hand on his.

"Oswald, you know you don't have to give me anything else." Sophia rolled her eyes, looking over at him with mild curiosity as he pulled a beautiful emerald ring from his pocket.

"I know I don't  _have_ to, but I want to. This ring belonged to my mother. I've kept it all this time, waiting for the right moment and the right person to give it to. My mother used to tell me that I would only find true love once in my life, but when I found it, I should run to it and never let go." He mused, slipping the ring on her right ring finger, "And I think I've found that person in you, Sophia." She felt her heart practically stop upon hearing the backstory of the piece, looking at the ring in sheer awe.

"It's beautiful, Ozzy... I can't believe you'd give this to me."

"Just say thank you, my darling. Try not to lose it. It's one of the few things I have left of my mother." Oswald's thumb stroked the back of her hand as he watched her tear up and her smile widen.

"I'll never take it off. Oswald, oh Oswald, thank you! It's amazing..." Her voice broke as her emotions overwhelmed her. Tears of joy spilled onto her cheeks as she leaned over and kissed him deeply, "I love you, Oswald Cobblepot. I love you with my whole entire being. I belong to you and you alone. Every little bit of me is yours..."


	14. Northern Downpour

The next month or so was relatively calm. Oswald had been working hard to maintain his control over Gotham all while Sophia was getting exceedingly frustrated with Oswald's overprotectiveness. Ever since Sweeney had taken her, he'd forced Zsasz to be at her side whenever she left the house. She felt like he was getting absolutely ridiculous with protecting her as well as his mounting nerves as her due date approached. One day, she'd had enough. All she wanted was to get a massage by herself with no one watching the masseuse too closely with a gun pressed to their skull. She had made an appointment for a day when Oswald had a rather large meeting with three of the biggest gangs in Gotham so he was out of the way. The only barrier once he left the mansion was Victor Zsasz who was picking his teeth with his switchblade in the corner of the living room. Grabbing a glass of expensive whiskey and putting a few drops of knockout serum that Ed made, Sophia approached Zsasz with a smile.

"Hey Victor... I was thinking that, since you've been so diligent in protecting me this past month and a half, you deserve a special drink. I pulled this whiskey from Oswald's private collection. He never lets anyone drink this stuff besides him. However, I thought you deserved it." She offered him the glass with an air of sincerity. Since Zsasz was a sucker for good whiskey, he smiled back at her and knocked the tumbler back almost immediately.

"Thanks sweetheart! You know me too well." He winked at her and Sophia winked back, only waiting about 3 minutes before he was out cold. Once she was sure he was unconscious, Sophia grabbed her things and left for her massage. She had been dying for one especially since she was becoming heavily pregnant and her back was killing her. She was also hoping it would make her more relaxed and ready for the birth of their son. A small part of her was also hoping it would help her blood flow and increase her libido as well.

Walking into the high end massage parlor, Sophia didn't fear anything at all. She had no reason to worry. After all, she was there to relax and Oswald was just being paranoid with all his protection.

Unfortunately for her, she was blissfully unaware of the fact that Colin Sweeney's niece Shannon ran the massage parlor she had just entered.

Sophia undressed and lied down on the table as she was instructed, letting out a heavy sigh as she slowly began to relax. She needed this after all she'd been through recently.

"Hello Miss Lorenski, would you like the music turned on?" A soft feminine voice said and Sophia smiled.

"Yeah sure, some music would be nice." The woman turned on the radio and soft spa music started playing quite loudly. Sophia just smiled and sighed, moaning quietly as the woman started rubbing her shoulders and her upper back. She had to lie on her side due to her belly but it felt amazing regardless.

"So when's the baby due?" The woman asked.

"In about two months."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy. I'm hoping he looks like his father."

"Ooohh, is his father handsome?"

"Very much so. He's probably the most handsome man I've ever met." The woman snickered at Sophia's words, but Sophia thought nothing of it. She just lied there and enjoyed the woman's gentle hands, relishing in the warmth of the bathrobe they had given her. She smiled to herself when she felt her son kicking and moving around, putting her hand on her belly and thinking of just how Oswald would react once their son was born.

"You have any names picked out?" The woman asked, her hands moving up her neck and working out some tough knots.

"Well we've decided on Elijah Garfield. Elijah was his father's name and he just thought the name Garfield sounded sophisticated. I personally thought it sounded kinda silly since it reminded me of Garfield the cat." Sophia rolled her eyes and the woman hummed along to the music. "What's your name again?" Sophia asked curiously, as she hadn't caught it when the woman walked in.

"Oh, sorry, my name is Shannon. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said gently, "You know, you seem really tense in your shoulders. Do you mind if I try some acupuncture to try and relax your muscles?" She asked and Sophia rolled over to look back at the woman. She had tried acupuncture once before and it really helped, so why wouldn't it help now? She was slightly hesitant, after all she was pregnant and she didn't want the baby to be affected, but it was just acupuncture. What could go wrong?

"Sure, why the hell not?" Sophia lied back down and relaxed, hearing Shannon fiddling with some needles behin her.

"All right, here we go." Shannon said before poking a special needle into Sophia's spine. This was what she'd been planning all along. She'd bought thick needles dipped in a numbing agent in order to paralyze Sophia in place. The second she put the needle into her neck, Sophia froze immediately. Fear gripped at her heart as she couldn't move any part of her body other than her head.

"Hey, um, I think you put the needle in the wrong place!" Sophia warned but the woman just chuckled darkly. 

"Oh no, it's exactly where it needs to be." She walked around to look into Sophia's eyes and rolled her onto her back while elevating her neck so the needle wouldn't go in any further.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Sophia growled.

"Oh you know  _exactly_ what I'm talking about, Miss Lorenski. After all, your baby daddy killed my uncle. It's only right I take his blood from him in return." Shannon smirked and Sophia's eyes went wide.

"If you hurt my baby, the Penguin is gonna slaughter you!!!"

"Sure he will, darling. He won't even be able to get through the door once I've started your labor."

"Started my.... Oh God no, please don't do this, he's not ready yet! He could die if he was born now!" Sophia cried out but Shannon just laughed and shook her head.

"That's the point, sweetness. I want both of you to suffer, to have that slight bit of hope that maybe he'll live, only to have it ripped away at the last second when he stops breathing right in front of you." She explained and Sophia wanted to scream, but she couldn't get enough air into her lungs to scream. It was also in that moment that her phone began ringing loudly. Shannon ignored it even when it continued to ring five more times after each ignored call.

"Oooh... I think the Emperor Penguin knows something is afoot."

* * *

 

"Gone? What the hell do you mean  **GONE?!"** Oswald growled, staring Zsasz down with sheer fury bubbling in his eyes.

"I mean she drugged me and gave me the slip. I don't know where she could've gone as she never mentioned anything to me." Zsasz explained and it only further infuriated Oswald to no end. He immediately called her, but when she didn't pick up after nearly six calls, he knew something was wrong. Oswald ran to his office and found the tablet that was connected to the tracker in her ring. Luckily she was still wearing it and Oswald found her in minutes. He felt his blood run cold when he realized she was inside the massage parlor owned by Sweeney's family.

"Oh God... GABE PULL THE CAR AROUND!!!" Oswald screamed, yanking Zsasz along as he stormed to the car, directing Gabe where to go. Despite looking calm and collected on the outside, he was beyond terrified on the inside. This was the second time the woman he loved was threatened by Sweeney's clan. Even though he didn't know for sure she was in danger, he could feel deep down that something was wrong.

* * *

 

Sophia kept trying to scream and she tried thrashing her head around in an attempt to loosen the needle, but it was in too deep. Shannon was preparing the scissors and other materials to deliver the premature baby in the corner of the room while Sophia struggled. She locked the door before turning back to Sophia with a rather large needle in hand.

"Don't worry. Since you're numb from the neck down, you won't feel any labor pains. Hell, you should thank me. If only modern medicine had this kind of technology." Shannon mused and tears started spilling from Sophia's eyes.

"Fuck, Shannon, I'm not above begging anymore. Although I'd much rather rip your throat out, I will make Oswald spare your life if you let me go now. Please, just take the needle out and let me walk out of her and I won't tell Oswald to kill you." Sophia panted, her shallow breathing picking up as Shannon stepped closer with the needle. She also grabbed a syringe from a locked cabinet and injected Sophia in the crease of her elbow with it.

"What was that?!" Sophia's voice trembled and Shannon just laughed and shook her head.

"Oh nothing, just a concoction of things to speed up your labor after I do this..." Shannon then rolled Sophia onto her side and pressed the large needle into her spine. Sophia didn't feel any pain but she felt the pressure and fear pulsed through her veins.

And then she felt an incredible pressure in her lower abdomen. It was like someone was squeezing her tightly and not letting go for about two minutes. There was a pause for a few minutes before another strong pressure. Sophia let out a sob as she realized they were contractions. This woman was forcing her into labor nearly 12 weeks too early. She wanted Oswald and Sophia to have the minuscule amount of hope that their son would survive and then she wanted to rip it away when he died.

"Shannon please! For Gods sake, you're going to murder an innocent child!" Sophia screamed, finally gaining her full voice back as her sobs had slightly loosened the needle in her neck.

"This sorry excuse of a baby isn't innocent. He needs to pay for what his father has done since Penguin won't pay for it himself." Shannon snarled and Sophia squirmed as Shannon pulled out the needle in her lower back. Her labor was started enough that she didn't need that needle anymore. Once Sophia realized she had full control of her voice once again, she let out a blood curdling scream so loud that Shannon covered her ears in surprise.

In fact, it was so loud that Oswald heard it from his car when Gabe parked. Oswald felt his heart stop for a moment and he immediately ran in, guns blazing. Zsasz followed behind him, watching in amazement as Oswald started tearing through the people fighting him. After all, the place was owned by Sweeney sympathizers so they knew what he had done. The second they saw him enter the building, they opened fire. The gunshots were heard by both Sophia and Shannon and Sophia let out a sigh of relief.

" _ **OSWALD!!! OSWALD I'M HERE!"**_ She screamed but Shannon covered her mouth.

"Shut the fuck up you slut!! He can't get through that door anyway. It's heavily reinforced." She growled and Sophia kept squirming, knocking the needle in her neck and making it even looser. That's when she got feeling in her arms back.

"He doesn't have to get in, I just have to get out!" Sophia then reached over to the side table, grabbed the scissors she was going to cut the cord with, and plunged them into Shannon's neck. She immediately yanked out the needle, feeling slowly returning back to her whole body. And that's when she felt the full pain of the contractions. She screamed again, this time out of pain as she stumbled to the door and unlocked it. The second she opened the door, she felt Shannon desperately grabbing for her leg but Sophia just crushed her hand with her foot.

"Sophia?!" Oswald called and Sophia left the room, spotting him in the hallway covered in blood. He ran to her, looking her up and down, his eyes going wide when he saw her clutching her belly in agony. "What happened?! You knocked Zsasz unconscious and went out on your own when I specifically told you it was dangerous! Why would you do that?!" He asked nervously and Sophia groaned in pain, gripping Oswald's arm with another contraction.

"Oswald we can discuss this later, but right now I need to get to a hospital. That bitch I murdered in there forced me into labor!"

"Wait, you murdered her?!"

"YES OSWALD, it's not like I had much of a choice!" She breathed, nearly doubling over into Oswald's arms before he started walking with her to the car. Although he was rightfully terrified for the safety of her and their son, he couldn't help but feel slightly proud of her killing someone that hurt her. 

Gabe practically slammed on the gas in order to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Sophia was just rambling and crying while Oswald was doing is best to keep her calm.

"Goddammit, it's all my fault AGAIN! Every time I try to be independent, I ruin it by doing something stupid! And now it's not just my own life that's in danger, it's Elijah's as well!"

"Normally I would agree with you, but now is not the time. You just need to take a deep breath. It's gonna be ok, he'll be ok!" Oswald said, his voice quivering as he didn't even believe his own words for a second. Gabe drove even faster to the hospital, making it there in record time as Oswald helped Sophia out of the car and escorted her inside. He was so hopped up on adrenaline that for a moment, he swore his limp disappeared.

"I need some help! Can one of you nurses quit being incompetent and do your damn jobs?!" Oswald shouted, drawing the attention of two nurses who rushed to Sophia's side as she explained what happened. When she told them she was only 28 weeks, they immediately took her up to the maternity ward. Oswald, however, was frozen to the spot once the nurses had taken her. This was it. It was finally happening. He'd thought he'd have atleast two more months to prepare for this moment, but even then the prospect of finally being a father terrified him. Zsasz then walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon. You need to be there with her or you'll never get to fuck her again. Trust me, women can hold a grudge." Zsasz said and Oswald sighed. He was scared of seeing her in so much pain like that. Deep down, it hurt him to know that he was the cause of all her pain. Regardless, Oswald knew he needed to be at her side when their son met the world for the first time. With Zsasz at his side, the two men rushed upstairs and walked in just as the nurses were getting her hooked up to all kinds of machines. He must've been frozen in place for a lot longer than he originally thought.

"Ozzy..." Sophia breathed, reaching out for him almost desperately.

"Watch the door." Oswald whispered to Zsasz before joining her at her bedside. "Is it horrible that this is the second time you've been in the hospital with me by your side?" He asked, trying to get her to laugh. It worked slightly as she gave him a weak smile, but her fear about their son's life overwhelmed all else.

"Whatever that cunt back at the parlor injected me with has sped up my labor. The nurses were originally gonna try to stop it, but since I'm already 6 cm dilated, they can't do anything to stop it." She murmured sadly. She leaned her head back and let out a sad sigh, gritting her teeth and groaning as another contraction ripped through her. Oswald took her hand and let her squeeze it, knowing she could very easily crush it, but it was worth it for her.

Due to the mix of hormones that Shannon gave her, Sophia's labor barely took any time at all. Within an hour of arriving at the hospital, she was already pushing. She screamed loudly, clenching her jaw and burying her face into Oswald's chest. He kept muttering words of encouragement in her ear, holding her hand the whole time. After a few minutes of pushing, Sophia felt something slide out of her. The world went silent for a few moments as the doctor quickly whisked the newborn away to the nurses.

"You did it... You did it my darling." Oswald whispered, kissing her temple as a flurry of people started trying to get the baby to breathe.

"Why isn't he crying?" Sophia asked, trying to sit up but one of the nurses forced her back down. After two agonizing minutes of silence, a gentle cry erupted from the crowd of people.

"Congratulations, it's a boy." A nurse said, a sorrowful smile on her face.

"Let me see him, please!" Sophia begged.

"We have to get him to the NICU. He's having quite a lot of trouble breathing right now. Once we get him completely stable, we'll bring him back." The doctor responded. Sophia and Oswald watched with tears in their eyes as their little Elijah was put in a glass incubator and rushed out of the room. A few nurses stayed behind and helped her deliver the afterbirth before cleaning her up. Once the whole ordeal was over and she was transferred to the postpartum suite (the best one Oswald could get for the bribery money he had), Sophia broke down completely. Oswald immediately wrapped his arms around her and let her sob her eyes out into his shoulder. Neither of them said anything for nearly five minutes as both of them cried into each others embraces. While Sophia was mostly feeling sad and guilty, Oswald was beyond furious. Even after his death, Sweeney was still tormenting him and now he'd brought his son into the fray... And that, in Oswald's eyes, was worse than any petty territory feud they ever had before. He knew he needed to eradicate every last one of Sweeney's sympathizers and family members and only then would he be truly satisfied.

"Why did he deserve this?" Sophia whispered through her tears, "He never did anything to anyone. Why did God decide that he deserved this punishment?"

"Because he's my son, that's why." Oswald sniffled, "My enemies are trying to make me suffer by making my son suffer for my actions. He didn't deserve this, Sophia, but I do. I was meant to feel this pain. Elijah never should've had this happen to him. I'm so sorry for putting all this pain on you. All of this is my fault. If he dies... It's another death on my hands. Don't you dare think this was his fault or your fault. For the first time in my life, I'm actually taking responsibility for something." His words hit hard and Sophia clung to Oswald even harder.

"We'll get through this...  _He'll_ get through this... Right?" Sophia whimpered, her fingers trembling in Oswald's jacket.

"If he's anything like me, he'll survive. He's a fighter, Sophia, I can feel it. I'm just as nervous as you are but you need to be patient." Oswald sighed, nuzzling her hair lovingly.

 


	15. Kaleidoscope Eyes

The two of them stayed in each others embrace for almost an hour and a half before the doctor came back.

"He's finally stabilized. He's only 2 and a half pounds. We're keeping him under strict observation and he needs a lot of help breathing, but you can go see him now." Sophia looked up at Oswald who nodded in agreement as a nurse walked in and took them down the hall to the NICU. Oswald, of course, made Zsasz stand watch outside as they entered the ward. He was shocked by the amount of sick and struggling newborns there were. And there, in the corner under a bright blue light, was the tiny squirming Elijah Garfield Cobblepot.

"My poor baby..." Sophia whispered, walking over to the incubator and putting her hand on the side of it. He was so small, barely the size of her hand, and he was clearly having a hard time breathing. She felt her voice catch in her throat as she wanted to scream and curse God for her son being born too early. Meanwhile, Oswald stared at his child in horror. He'd seen some strange monsters in his life but he'd never seen anything like this. It looked like a baby, but there was clearly something wrong with him. His skin looked too wrinkly and red and his chest was flailing wildly as he tried his hardest to breathe. Oswald didn't know when he started crying again, but he soon felt tears staining his cheeks. Sophia sat down beside the incubator and Oswald followed suit, feeling his heart clench at the sight of his son in pain.

"You need to kill them, Oswald." Sophia growled under her breath so quietly that Oswald almost didn't hear her.

"W-what?" He stammered in shock.

"I said, you need to KILL THEM!" She spat a little louder. "Every last one of Sweeney's followers deserve to pay for this. I already killed the bitch that triggered my labor but Sweeney still has men all over the city. They need to hurt for making my son be born too soon." Her words were full of venom and even Oswald could hear it. He was absolutely flabbergasted by her sudden change of heart about murder. She told him she'd never forgive him for Big Dinero's murder and she wanted him to spare Sweeney's men after he kidnapped her. However, now that her son was involved, Sophia was willing to go to the extreme for revenge. Oswald couldn't help but feel slightly elated upon this new revelation but he kept his expression neutral.

"I promise you, my darling, they will suffer just as Elijah has." Oswald said, giving Sophia a sad smile. She then opened the small door to Elijah's incubator and reached inside, letting Elijah wrap his tiny hand around her finger. That's when Sophia broke. She let out a heart wrenching sob, her forehead falling against the glass box. Oswald reached inside as well, taking Sophia's hand and stroking her knuckles with his thumb. 

"My Elijah... My beautiful little Elijah... I'm so sorry I couldn't keep you inside a little longer. I need you to keep fighting, ok? You need to fight for mommy. Don't leave me so soon..." Sophia's voice trembled and Oswald's breath hitched at the sad sight.

"How long do you think he'll need to stay here?" Oswald asked the nurse taking Elijah's vitals.

"I'm not exactly sure. If he improves, he'll go home sooner than we may expect. But it's all a matter of waiting since things could change at any moment." She explained and Oswald sighed. It was then that his phone buzzed and he excused himself, going out into the hallway to answer the call.

"Hello?" Oswald sniffled, wiping his eyes.

"Oswald? Are you crying? What's going on?" Ed's nervous voice came from the other end, making Oswald even more anxious. 

"I... Um... I'm a father now, Ed. Elijah was born this morning." He stammered, running a hand through his hair.

"Wait, I thought she wasn't due for another two months?"

"She wasn't but Sweeney's niece got to her and triggered premature labor. God Ed, he's so small. Maybe this is punishment for all the horrible shit I've done in my life."

"Oh my God... Is Sophia ok?"

"She's as fine as she can be. After all, she's watching her own son struggling to survive every second he takes a breath." Oswald let out a quiet sob, trying to collect himself.

"Do you need anything? Really, anything at all, name it and I'll find it." Despite their rough past, Ed still cared for Oswald immensely. He forgave him for Isabella and for freezing him in a block of ice since Oswald was practically his only friend.

"I need all of Sweeney's men dead. Every last one of them. They need to pay for Elijah's suffering. And that's not just my request. Sophia told me she wants them dead."

"Wow, this has really affected her. I'll do my best to track them down for you. Do you want me to kill them on the spot?"

"No! Leave them alive and bring them to a warehouse. Get them all cornered like rats so I can torture them one by one." Oswald snarled, his grip tightening on his phone.

"Anything else?" Ed asked.

"Um... yeah actually. Just one thing." Oswald paused, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say. He and Sophia had been discussing it for the past few weeks before they finally came to the best decision, "Sophia and I want you to be Elijah's Godfather. If anything should ever happen to us, we want you to take care of Elijah. You're the only person other than Sophia that I trust with my whole heart." Oswald's confession made Ed's jaw drip. He hadn't ever really given much thought to being a father, but now he had an opportunity. Honestly for Ed, this was a grander gesture from Oswald than his admission of love. This was him trusting Ed with the most precious thing in his entire world... his son.

"Yes. Of course Oswald. If anything should happen to both you and Sophia, I'll gladly take responsibility for Elijah." Oswald smiled at Ed's response, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Good... Thank you Ed. You've always been my only choice to keep Elijah safe if I can't." Oswald then hung up the phone and let out a sigh.

"I'm amazed you trust that beanpole with your child's life." Zsasz commented, having heard the whole thing.

"I'd rather give him to someone who'd be loyal and couldn't be bought out. If I trusted you with Elijah, you'd quickly sell out to someone offering you a higher price." Oswald muttered bitterly. 

"Ok, yeah, that's a fair point." Zsasz said with a shrug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short and I haven't updated recently! Work has just been kicking my ass and I haven't had time to post! Hope ya'll like this chapter!


	16. King Of The Clouds

Sophia barely slept all night. She wanted to spend the night in the NICU with Elijah but the nurses wouldn't let her. So she was curled up on the hospital bed not sleeping due to her worries and fears. Oswald stayed as long as he could before he got a call from Ed letting him know that he got his hands on nearly 15 of Sweeney's sympathizers.

"I have to go now, my darling. I'll be back as soon as I can. Zsasz is watching the NICU so Elijah is safe for now." Oswald said, walking over and kissing her on the forehead.

"Be careful... If this is about what I think it's about, take them down. Make them suffer, Oswald." Sophia growled and Oswald smiled.

"I promise."

* * *

 

When Oswald arrived at the warehouse where Ed was, he had fury in his eyes. Ed could see it, Gabe could see it, and he wanted to make sure that Sweeney's men could definitely see it. Ed had all of them tied to chairs with gags in their mouths and there was an array of weapons to choose from on a nearby table.

"So... I bet all of you are wondering just what exactly you're doing here. Well, you all associated yourselves with that disgusting Irish piece of shit known as Colin Sweeney. For those of you not in the know, I killed Sweeney. Now normally, you guys would get off scott free since you didn't exactly do anything except support him. However, one of your own hurt the woman I love and caused my son to be born prematurely. He is currently struggling to survive in he hospital with every breath he takes being a miracle. Because you still support each other and fund the remainder of Sweeney's family, I'm going to show you what it's like for my son right now." Oswald grabbed a garrote wire and wrapped it around one man's throat, strangling him and cutting into his skin with the wire. The rest of the men began to whimper and let out muffled screams as they all realized what was going to happen to them.

"Ed, would you mind handing me that baseball bat please?" Oswald asked.

"But of course!" Ed smirked, handing Oswald the wooden bat. The shorter man then wound up and struck the strangled man upside the head as hard as he could. He kept swinging and striking the man until he'd completely bashed his brains in. He let out a heavy sigh and glanced down the line of squirming men.

"Who's next?"

For the next hour and a half, Oswald murdered 10 out of the 15 men in exceedingly gruesome ways. He suffocated one man to death by shoving his fist down his throat. He set another on fire after slicing his dick off. The five remaining men were rather high up in Sweeney's chain of command. Two of them were actually Sweeney's nephews and Oswald had something special planned for them.

"You two..." Oswald murmured, pointing to Sweeney's nephews and taking out their gags.

"You're a fucking monster!" One of them screamed, glaring Oswald down.

"Oh no, your sister was the true monster. Blame her for what's happening to you right now!" His words were full of poison and both young men looked worried.

"What the fuck are you talking about? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH SHANNON?!" The other man shouted.

"Sadly, I didn't do anything. That honor was reserved for the mother of my child. She got to her first. It's because of Shannon that my son was born prematurely. She deserved what she got in the end. She bled to death with a sharp pair of scissors buried in her throat." Oswald said with a cold laugh and both nephews began sobbing with grief.

"After you killed Sweeney, she went off the deep end... We never thought she'd do anything like that." One nephew said, shaking his head. Oswald just shrugged and snapped his fingers. Ed then appeared at his side with a bucket full of needles similar to the ones Shannon used to torture Sophia.

"I couldn't give two shits about her mental state. All that matters is that she did it. And now, you two are going to pay for her mistakes." Oswald then proceeded to plunge the needles deep into their faces. The men started screaming in pain and Oswald couldn't stop smiling. He kept stabbing them with large needles, moving them to more and more sensitive spots with every new stab. Soon enough, both men looked like pin cushions and Oswald watched with sheer joy in his eyes. The two of them were slowly bleeding out and struggling to move as some needles were pressed directly against nerves. He let Ed murder the three remaining hostages however he wished while Oswald kept his attention on Sweeney's nephews.

"Just kill us already for fucks sake! Goddammit just end it!" One of them shouted and Oswald chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh no, I'm going to keep you two alive for as long as possible to feel the same pain the mother of my child felt when your sister forced our son from her womb too soon." He hissed, taking another large needle and piercing the man straight through his tongue. It was in that moment that he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He immediately picked it up, his hand trembling with adrenaline.

"Hello?" He asked shakily.

"Hey Ozzy... They're doing some tests on him right now and... um... he's not doing so well... I just... Can you please get over here as soon as you can?" Sophia's scared voice caused a chill to run down Oswald's spine. All the joy he'd experienced from murdering and torturing Sweeney's men was slowly being replaced by fear.

"Yeah, of course, I'll be there, I promise." Oswald replied.

"I love you Oswald." She whispered before hanging up the phone. Sophia was standing in front of the door to the NICU, trying to get it together, but clearly failing. Elijah had a sudden and severe dip in his lung function and the nurses forced her out, whisking him away as quickly as they could. she was terrified that he would die right then and there and she wouldn't have even been able to hold him before that happened.

* * *

 

It was almost another hour before Oswald finally showed up, limping over to her and she immediately embraced him. She let out a shaky breath as she was practically drained of all her tears.

"Where is he?" Oswald asked and Sophia sniffled, rubbing her eyes.

"The nurse just told me they've finally got him stable again. He could barely breathe when I called you." She explained and Oswald sighed, helping her to sit down.

"What do you want to do?" He asked. Sophia sat there in silence, not exactly sure how to respond just yet. It took her a few moments before she finally spoke up.

"I just want to take him home, Oswald. I want to hold our little boy in my arms and let him know his mother loves him." She whimpered, her head falling into her hands and Oswald put his hand on her shoulder.

"I want that too. I've got all my men tracking down the rest of Sweeney's sympathizers. Ed's got Sweeney's nephews in a warehouse where I just came from. I got to about 15 of his men and I left two of Sweeney's nephews alive, but only alive as human pin cushions." Oswald smirked and Sophia hummed in response.

"I never thought I'd want someone dead before. Even with Big Dinero, I never once wished him dead. That's part of why I was so pissed at you for killing him in the first place. But now... Now that Elijah is involved, I want every member of Sweeney's empire to die screaming." Sophia growled and Oswald smiled wide.

"You do realize that you saying that just makes me love you even more?" He laughed and Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Ozzy, can you just hold me?" She whispered and Oswald nodded, happy to do so. He wrapped his arms around her once more and said nothing, letting her bury her face in his chest. Oswald thought he knew true love when he first fell in love with Ed. He desperately wanted Ed to love him back but it never happened. He grew bitter to the idea of love because of that. However, when Sophia first wormed her way into his heart, he was shocked when he felt himself starting to fall for her. And when he realized he truly loved her, Oswald was overjoyed when she told him she loved him back.

What he had with Sophia was special and what he had been craving with Ed. And now that he had it, he would do anything it took to keep it.


	17. Always

It was a few more weeks before the day finally came for Sophia and Oswald. The day they could hold their son for the first time. 

Sophia was sitting nervously in the corner of the hospital room with Oswald standing beside her as the nurse wheeled Elijah's bassinet into the room. He was still attached to a few wires but he was finally beginning to breathe on his own. The nurse carefully picked up the tiny infant and handed him to Sophia. She immediately teared up as her son opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"He's got your nose, Oswald." Sophia laughed, running her pinky finger down her son's tiny pointed nose. Oswald groaned internally over the fact that his child had inherited that facial feature, but Sophia liked it, so he smiled regardless.

"He's so beautiful." He whispered, sitting down beside her as Elijah started making gentle cooing noises.

"You can try to feed him now if you'd like?" The nurse said and Sophia swallowed dryly. She slowly lifted her shirt and tried to get Elijah to latch onto her breast. It took a few minutes and a bit of positioning before the infant finally began suckling. Oswald was in awe at the sight, still in shock that he was able to have a family. The woman he loved sat beside him with their son at her breast and he couldn't stop smiling.

"God, despite his rather surprising entrance, I'm so happy he's finally here." Sophia murmured, Elijah's hand wrapping around her index finger and making her laugh slightly. It was then that Oswald's smile fell. He remembered how Sofia Falcone attempted to manipulate him by using Martin. He had to fake the child's death for her to stop using the boy. Now he had an even bigger weakness: his actual biological son. The more people knew about Elijah, the more people would try to get to him in order to get to Penguin. With Sophia, he trusted her enough to defend herself, but Elijah was an infant. He could barely breathe by himself let alone protect himself against someone wanting to use him. Oswald swallowed nervously and he knew he would have to bribe the entire nursing staff that had worked with Elijah over the past few weeks. He needed Elijah's existence as secret as he possibly could. After all, he was born prematurely. Oswald could easily just say he died at birth if anyone asked.

"Ozzy? You ok?" Sophia's voice brought Oswald out of his thoughts

"Yeah... I'm fine." He lied, watching Sophia pull Elijah away from her chest as the nurse instructed her not to feed him too much. Sophia raised an eyebrow at him, immediately suspicious of Oswald's tone.

"Ok..." She said before standing up and kneeling down beside him, the child still in her arms, "Would you like to hold him?" She asked and Oswald froze. This was probably one of his biggest fears since he found out she was pregnant. What if he dropped him? What if he accidentally hurt him?

"I... uh..." Oswald stammered before Sophia placed Elijah in his arms. Oswald immediately tensed at the sensation of holding his son for the first time. It took him maybe a good minute or two before he finally realized what was happening. He relaxed and let out a shaky breath, looking down at the small child in his arms. Elijah opened his tiny eyes and stared up at his father. Oswald saw himself in his son's eyes and he felt all his worries and fears melt away the second their gazes met.

"Oh my God..." Oswald breathed, bringing a shaky hand to the side of Elijah's face and the baby let out a noise of curiosity, "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen... And you're  _mine..._ Oh God, you're actually mine!" He said in shock, sniffling a bit as tears brimmed in his eyes, "I love you Elijah. Your daddy loves you so much. I'll do anything to keep you safe, I promise. I promise I'll never let anything bad happen to you. You're the son of the Penguin and people are going to want to manipulate you. But I'm never going to let that happen. You're going to inherit this city, my son. When I'm gone, this whole city will be yours. I swear on my life, you will own these streets one day." Oswald whispered and Elijah just stared at him as he tried to figure out who was talking to him.

"He looks just like you, Ozzy. Isn't he amazing?" Sophia said and he nodded.

"He's got your face though. He's just as strong and amazing as the woman who gave birth to him." He couldn't stop staring at his son. This child was his legacy. When he inevitably died, Elijah would take over his empire. Oswald also knew that if his enemies realized Elijah's identity, they would murder the child at any opportunity they got. And Oswald would do anything it took to make sure that didn't happen, even if it meant burning every bridge he'd ever built in society,

"Boss!" Zsasz said from the doorway, "I got the list you wanted. I already paid off all the people I saw today, but there's still quite a few names on here." He explained, walking over an cocking his head as he looked over Elijah, "Huh... he looks like you, boss."

"Thank you Victor. Those we haven't gotten to yet will be dealt with shortly." Oswald replied.

"Ozzy, who are you paying off?" Sophia asked, carefully taking Elijah from his arms and handing him back to the nurse.

"No one you need to worry about, darling." Oswald said firmly, as if he was trying to hide it.

"Oswald, if you're paying off someone that could come back and bite you in the ass, you need to tell me! If not for my sake, then for Elijah's sake." Sophia protested and Oswald sighed heavily, glancing over at the nurse as she wheeled their son back out of the room.

"I'm paying off all the doctors and nurses who've worked with Elijah over these past weeks. If any of them let it spill that he is my son, Elijah will have a massive target on his back. Everyone in Gotham's underworld will want him dead so my legacy will end with me." Sophia raised an eyebrow at his explanation but it actually started to make sense after she thought about it. She herself was a target for a while for just falling in love with him. She couldn't imagine how his enemies would react once they realized he had a living son they could manipulate.

"We should change his birth certificate..." She whispered and Oswald looked at her confused.

"Why?"

"Because we gave him your last name. Your name is so distinctive and instantly recognizable. If we change it from Cobblepot to Lorenski, he'll be safer." Oswald's jaw tightened when he realized she was right, but he still didn't want to change his name.

"No... He shouldn't be afraid to be a Cobblepot. He should be proud. Elijah Garfield  _Cobblepot_ will keep his name." Oswald stated proudly, adjusting his tie and sitting up straight.

"If he shouldn't be afraid of his name, then you shouldn't be paying off people to keep quiet. He'll be strong and brave and using the power of his father's name to his advantage. It's my reputation he needs to banish from his past. I don't want kids teasing him over his whore of a mother who's only skill was opening her legs to the highest paying man." Sophia muttered bitterly, shaking her head and Oswald let out a soft sigh. He reached out and took her hand in his, his thumb stroking her knuckles.

"Trust me, if any little snot nosed brat dared to say that about the mother of my child, they'd have me to deal with. Yes you may have a dark past, but my past is even darker and what you've done is nothing in comparison to what I've done." He said with a gentle smile and Sophia finally relaxed.

"Goddammit... I love you Oswald Cobblepot." She murmured before leaning over and kissing him lovingly.

* * *

 

Underneath all this joy and hope, something was brewing. Something dark and sinister that was hungry for revenge. Shannon Sweeney, the woman who forced Elijah to be born early, was still alive. Despite Sophia stabbing her in the throat with a pair of scissors AND crushing her hand, Shannon was saved by the members of her family who survived Oswald's onslaught. They took her to an underground medical center run by the Irish mob where the bleeding was stopped and her crushed hand was clumsily fixed. Because of the meager supplies the facility had on hand, Shannon's vocal cords were severely damaged beyond repair and her hand was implanted with metal blades to keep the bones stable. She was unconscious for almost a month before she was finally brought out of her coma.

"Shannon? Shannon my darling?" A voice spoke to her and Shannon looked up into the weeping eyes of her mother.

"Mom?" Shannon screeched out, the word sounding forced and almost like a scream.

"Shh... don't speak. Your voice has been damaged. That little bitch almost killed you and... And her fucking baby daddy killed your brothers!" The older Irish woman murmured with a sob. Shannon tried to sit up only to realize there was an intense pain in her left hand. She looked at her bandaged hand, letting out a pained noise as she desperately tried to come to terms with what happened to her.

"Did... did the child die?" She whispered and her mother let out a shaky breath.

"We don't know. We've been looking through every hospital record in Gotham and we can't find any evidence if he lived or died. The Penguin must be paying off the hospital staff to keep it a secret." Her mother explained and Shannon let out a growl, digging her bandaged fingers into the table she sat on. She was then surprised to discover sharp blades sticking out from under the bandages. She looked at her hand in confusion but her mother laughed in response.

"We had to fix your hand somehow, my dear. We didn't have any normal pins to set your bones with. So we did the next best thing, which was implanting blades into your fingers. They extend whenever you clench your fist but you have to push them back in manually." Shannon stared at her bladed hand in awe, a demented smile crossing her face.

"I'm gonna make them pay, mom. They're gonna rue the day they crossed Colin Sweeney." Shannon screeched quietly. And then an idea flickered through her mind. Gotham was full of masked nutjobs with insane names, so what if she went unmasked? What if she showed the people of Gotham what really happened to Penguin's victims? And what if she did it in the most theatrical way she could?

"I'm gonna make this city sing, mom. I'm gonna make the Penguin see the error of his ways and turn everyone against him." She looked over at the bedside table and newspaper had Oswald's face plastered on the front page. It was an old paper from when he was first elected mayor of Gotham and her mother was using it to protect the table. Shannon, however, picked it up and growled at it. She then extended a razor from her finger and sliced the picture of Oswald across his throat.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Penguin.  _ **Sweeney Todd**_ ****is on the hunt for you... And she will have her revenge..."


End file.
